Designer, Dreamer, Maker,
I am a strategic creative professional who believes in the power of visuals.
Suleyman Yazki
I am a designer and director with more than 10 years of expertise in brand identity, experience design, and motion graphics for some of the world’s most well-known companies and cultural institutions. I previously worked in Paris, Rotterdam, Luxembourg, Los Angeles, and Geneva for clients including Redbull, Orange, Activision, Riot Games, Paramount, RatPac, Skydance, Chopard, IWC, Rolex, Infiniti, United Nations and more. I am the design advisor of the French Cluster and a design instructor at Gobelins design school. Working worldwide as an independant consultant, I create and lead exceptional design work from concept to execution.
Career & Background
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
Breaking the Grid
Born in 1989 in Nevers, France, I started my artistic career early via Hip-Hop dance alongside Ibrahim Dembele, Benjamin Chaouat and Youval Ifergan. I travelled throughout France to participate in dance battles and give dance workshops with the company Terpsichore. In parallel, already aware of my particular fascination for visual languages, I practiced graffiti art with MAC & ACC Crew and street artists like Kongo, Juan, BOP, and Kalouf. In 2008, I was awarded by the Rotary International Art Fellowship and joined the Irina Brook dance company for a year, while completing a preparatory class in applied arts as well as evening classes in art history with the École du Louvre.
My passion for typography, calligraphy and Islamic arts led me to put aside the performing arts to continue my apprenticeship in the field of visual design. In 2009, I joined the bachelor of graphic design and advertising program at the École Supérieure des Arts Appliqués de Bourgogne (ESAAB). After my degree, I continue my university studies in the Design department at LAAB/Bréquigny in Rennes. In 2013, I obtained my Master's degree (DSAA Creator & Conceptor) specializing in graphic design, with special honors awarded by the jury for my thesis on dance in prisons.
Breakdance freeze at the Pier 1 Playground in front of the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, USA, 2013.
Photo courtesy of Sertac Yuksel.
WORK AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Creating Bridges
In 2013, I had the opportunity to join the Dumbar Studio, based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, within Liza Enebeis' team. This internationally renowned studio offered me the opportunity to focus my work on artistic research in branding and animation. I contributed to the development of corporate branding and prestigious cultural institutions such as TNT, the Amsterdam Sinfonietta and the International Typographic Association.
From 2014 to 2015, I joined the prestigious animation studio Prologue Films in Los Angeles, California, under the creative direction of Kyle Cooper. I developed concepts and designs for animation credits, broadcast identities and interfaces dedicated to Hollywood productions. My work was mainly focused on the film industry but also on corporate work for international brands such as Warner Bros, Fox, Skydance, RatPac, Activision, Bungie, Infiniti, Audi, ESPN, and the UFC.
Between 2016 and 2020, I successively took over the artistic direction of the Vanksen studio in Luxembourg, as well as Freestudios and Buzz Brothers in Geneva, Switzerland. I had the opportunity to work on global campaigns, brand identities and advertising films for international clients such as Rolex, Chopard, Patek, Rado, Tudor, Tissot, Vacheron, Jaeger-Lecoultre, the United Nations, Infiniti, Visilab, and Nestlé Group.
Halloween team party in the main area of the studio, Prologue Films, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2015.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Gordon.
WHAT'S NEXT
Thinking Global
In 2020, I decided to fully unlock my freedom to think, travel, work and explore new technologies and artistic practices. Being independent allows me to explore design as a vehicle for dialogue, sharing and socialization. Working individually, collaboratively or as part of a global network, I regularly have the opportunity to take part in projects for studios such as McCann, TBWA/, Ogilvy, Massive Assembly as well as for advertisers in the luxury, esports and technology sectors such as Channel, Redbull, Riot Games, Lab Five, Blenders, Orange Lab, and Nestlé.
I am also involved in entrepreneurial mentoring as an active member of the French Cluster. I advise French entrepreneurs wishing to set up their business in California, on their global communication strategy. I enjoy sharing my ideas and knowledge, and also participate in conferences and conduct lectures at the Gobelins school in the digital design master program.
This breadth of creative and communicative experience has developed my conception of design, and today I embody as a designer a hybrid and collective approach, that goes beyond the duality of intelligible and sensitive. Through an artistic demonstration that is both open yet intimate, I want to reconcile the sensory, the sensitive and the sensible; in a world that is opening up to new territories.
On the alpine road of The Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix Mont-Blanc, France, 2021.
Photo courtesy of Suleyman Yazki.
Lectures & Publications
Exhibitions & Awards
Lectures & Instructions
→ GOBELINS, L'école de l'image
Annecy / Paris, France | September 2019 - Today
Guest lecturer, jury and instructor for the digital design Masters (M.A)
(UI) User Interface / Design Culture
→ DIGISUP, Digital Marketing University
Nevers, France | March 2020
Guest Lecturer
Motion Graphics and commercial pitches
→ DF / Design & Formations™
Geneva, Switzerland | November 2017
Guest Lecturer
Design graphique et industrie du cinéma : une approche de la narration
→ CITIA, Creative industries
Annecy, France | May 2017
Guest Lecturer
Motion design et industries créatives à l'ère du numérique
→ ESBA, Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Saint-Brieuc
Saint-Brieuc, France | October 2016
Guest Lecturer
Concepts et approches au design de titrage pour le cinéma (title design)
→ EMI, École des Métiers de l'Information - SCOP SA
Paris, France | February 2016
Guest Lecturer
Visual strategies and digital content creation
→ UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States | February 2015
Guest Lecturer - Design & Visual Arts department
Concepts of title design for the cinema industry
→ UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States | March 2014
Guest Lecturer - Design & Visual Arts department
Motion graphics and digital storytelling for title design
Publications
→ Étapes Magazine
Luxury Design and Visual Language
February 10, 2020
→ CBN Magazine
Révolution 4.0 : Le Futur De La Communication et ses Métiers Créatifs
June 22, 2019
→ Rizzoli Books New York
Head To Toe: The Nude in Graphic Design
April 17, 2018
→ Le Book Paris
Alpina Pilot Startimer
April 11, 2018
→ Le Book Paris
Tag Heuer Modular Watch
April 10, 2018
→ IDN Magazine
Connected Modular 45 Motion Graphics
June 17, 2017
→ Ads of the World
Tag Heuer Modular 45
June 17, 2017
→ Art of the Title
Title Sequence - 1979 Revolution: Black Friday
April 5, 2016
→ Decanted Design
Typography for films
December 22, 2016
→ Ads of the World
Halo 5 Guardians: All Hail
September 10, 2015
→ Ghanoon Magazine
Issue 569 : Iran between Letters and Motion, The Art of Suleyman Yazki
July 23, 2015
→ Forage Press
Isobel
May 15, 2015
→ The Drum
US Creative Department: GSD&M, McKinney, David&Goliath and more
April 1, 2015
→ Gràffica
Rafale, Tipografía Stencil De Suleyman Yazki
November 21, 2014
→ Creative Review
One Step Forward - Best Of Feed #4
July 22, 2014
→ Salle Des Machines
Un Pas En Avant
June 27, 2014
→ Ad Age
Halo Mythology Gets Twisted In New Campaign For The Master Chief Collection
June 10, 2014
→ IDN Magazine
Boogie Down Identity And System
March 6, 2014
→ Typo/Graphic Posters
Artworks
October 15, 2013
→ Slanted
Dutch Style and Graphic Design
October 11, 2013
→ New Grids
Suleyman Yazki's Posters
August 30, 2013
→ Revue Avant/Après
Type Design, Research and Collaboration
May 22, 2013
→ Ventilate C.A
Accentus, A Classical Identity
September 10, 2013
→ Communication Arts
Poster, Art and Design
August 12, 2013
Exhibitions
→ Typog
BFM, Geneva, Switzerland
September 2018
→ Alternative Suspecte
BFM, Geneva, Switzerland
September 2018
→ Feux du Ciel
Galerie Andata Ritorno, Geneva, Switzerland
September 2017
→ Design et Voluptés
Gallerie Laurence Bernard, Geneva, Switzerland
March 2016
→ 360 Women in Revolution
Venice Arts Gallery, Los Angeles, United States
February 2015
→ While in Motion
Venice Arts Gallery, Los Angeles, United States
October 2014
→ Images de la Prison
Les Champs Libres, Rennes, France
April 2014
→ Le Caractère du Studio Auger
Musée de l'Imprimerie, Nantes, France
September 2017
→ Bottles
Pac des Ouches, Nevers, France
June 2013
→ Graff'in'It
Arko, Nevers, France
September 2012
Awards
→ A' Design Award (Individual)
Milano, Italy
2021
→ D&AD Creative Awards (Agency)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2020
→ Art Director Club - ADC (Agency)
Paris, France
2019
→ Grand Prix Romand (Agency)
Lausanne, Switzerland
2018
→ Meilleur de la Pub (Agency)
Geneva, Switzerland
2018
→ Lux Marketing & Communication Awards (Agency)
Luxembour City, Luxembourg
2017
→ CSS Awards (Individual)
Paris, France
2015
→ A' Design Award (Agency)
Milano, Italy
2013
→ Rotary International (Individual)
Reims, France
2010
A question?
Let's talk →
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