Cape Town-based graphic designer and illustrator Kim Bischofberger (Kimbolino) joined forces with Neighbourgood to create a bright Cape Town mural inspired by the sweeping arches of architecture. VISI chats with her about the process for her latest creation.

Tell us about how the plan for the mural came about.

I had been itching to do a mural for a while when my good friend and colleague, Anlo Neethling, founder and director of One Design + Development an interior design and project management company based in Cape Town (@one_design_and_development), contacted me to do a mural for the latest Neighbourgood project in Hill road, Greenpoint.

The beautiful bones of the building boasted a lot of archways, so Anlo thought of me, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but archways are kind of my passion!

Who is involved?

Anlo Neethling (founder and director of One Design + Development, an interior design and project management company based in Cape Town) was the interior designer and project manager, Murray and Kim Clark from Neighbourgood SA (@neighbourgood_sa) – the client, and I teamed up with the super talented Bazil Baxter (@bazil_draws_on_walls) to assist me in painting the mural (I say assist, but I want to make it very clear that I couldn’t have done any of this without him!).

What was the planning process like?

This was my first mural of this magnitude so the planning process was intense. Firstly, I decided to work in a 2D space when creating the artwork, as it was going to wrap around all the facets of the building, so I wanted it to almost seem like the doorways were leading into the building – inviting you inside. Anlo shared his interior mood boards and this gave me a sense of what the space needed to feel like – which was an eclectic, tropical, Palm Springs-inspired vibe. This helped me figure out what kind of illustrated and stylised elements to include in my artwork, for example, a palm tree and even a homage to the Green Point stadium.

I was given a lot of freedom (which works well, in my opinion) to create what I felt was right for the space, but also remained true to my style. After we got the design approved, I plotted the design out on a doodle grid (meter by meter squared) and Bazil and then translated the entire design onto the walls with painstaking geometry skills and some circle and stair stencils, and then painted.

How did you decide on a colour scheme?

I love working in bright, vibrant colour palettes, and that was perfect for this job. I also kept in mind the Neighbourgoods brand language, and also the space where the mural would exist – I needed to strike a balance between it being beautiful and eye-catching, without becoming overpowering.

I designed the mural using 6 colours (which ended up growing to 10), picked paint swatches from the Plascon range by matching my Pantones, got some swatches on the wall and then we went for it. We tweaked some colours by adding white to keep them more muted.

How long has it taken?

We were working on a live building site to meet tight deadlines, so there were some delays and workarounds to accommodate other aspects of the renovation, but all in all, it took two weeks to paint the front, side and also an additional back wall mural (to really carry through the concept). Bazil and I did the bulk of it but we had lots of help from the OneDD team and 3 exceptional painting assistants: Church, Manners and Willard. I also had 2 very supportive friends, Lisa and Shani, pop in to spend some time painting and documenting the process with us.

I also worked with Anlo on bringing aspects of the murals into the interiors, painting accent walls in the rooms, small touches like yellow circles around hanging pendant lights, and large archways on walls in the communal areas.

What were some complications?

As I mentioned, I created a doodle grid (the meter-by-meter plan of the design), but this wasn’t the initial plan – when I arrived on day 1 with my projector, I realised that this simply wasn’t going to work for a mural of this size, so quickly had to re-think the process. Bazil gave me a call to ask how it was going and talked me through how best to tackle everything. 

What did you enjoy most about creating the piece?

It was such a welcomed change of environment. I have always painted and worked with my hands, but it was a thrill climbing up and down the scaffolding (after my fear subsided and upper body strength kicked in), and I loved being outside, away from my desk and studio. I can see why so many artists plan to do mural seasons in summer, while the weather plays along and spend a few months travelling to paint – definitely something I’d like to plan to do in the future!

Anything you’d do differently next time?

I wouldn’t change a thing – it was such a great learning experience, I got to work with incredibly talented people and a great client, and even the challenges were fun to navigate.

What feeling or mood is the mural made to inspire?

Think Santa Barbara archways meets Palm Springs, a tropical vacation oasis in the city.

How did you plan your design to work with the architecture of the building?

Firstly, I did a site visit and took loads of photos. Anlo and I chatted through his plans for the exterior and anything I’d need to keep in mind, and then I just started playing around with my artwork on the building facade like a canvas, using the building’s windows and doorways and balcony columns as part of my design.

Any exciting mural plans coming up?

I have 2 new mural projects lined up for this year that are still in the planning phases, and also a really cool project for a courtyard mural in a client’s home. I’m very excited to have my artwork up on the walls of private/residential spaces, I get to create a little oasis for them which means a lot to me.

Follow Kim @kimkimbolino and Bazil @bazil_draws_on_walls to see what they get up to!

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The post Kimbolino X Neighbourgood Cape Town Mural appeared first on Visi.

Cape Town-based graphic designer and illustrator Kim Bischofberger creates striking digital artworks that highlight architectural angles and arches. VISI chats to her about her work, influences and inspirations.

How did you start your design journey?

I studied Graphic Design at CPUT, graduated in 2008, and then worked at a bunch of design and branding agencies in and around Cape Town. I’ve always tried to keep my own creative endeavours going in my free time. Eventually, in 2016, I decided to go freelance full-time, which gave me more time to focus on my illustrations and experiment with prints. A year later, my partner Terence Kitching and I started our own design business called SuperElastic. We offer a full range of services, including branding, design strategy, illustration, UX and interiors.

My career started and was built on a strong branding skillset, but I’ve found that as I’ve progressed and grown as a designer, I’ve fallen more and more in love with interiors, architecture and creating engaging spaces.

Are your images inspired by real places or are they imaginary?

I do find inspiration in places I’ve visited, but my images are imaginary spaces. I’m kind of building my dream home, room by room, in my mind. Each illustration can feel like a different part of a bigger, more intricate building or space or it can just be an interesting view of an imaginary structure.

I love playing with light, and sometimes, I use references of windows casting light, etc to help get the lighting right. I love to incorporate my favourite views into the backgrounds of my images – at the moment it’s a lot of Mediterranean beaches because I’m already missing summer.

What is your process for creating an illustration?

I work in Adobe Illustrator. I’ve built a toolkit of textures and colour palettes that I like to use over a set of images, and then change up, experimenting with what works best.

I like to create images that take the viewer on a  journey through my imaginary spaces, level by level, room by room, highlighting different elements, like archways, staircases, swimming pools, courtyards and windows. I usually create a night and day version of each image, playing with light and shadow.

Your images are all about perspectives and angles. What intrigues you about architecture?

I would have loved to be an architect and have always had a fascination with Art Deco and Spanish architecture. There’s something very intriguing about exploring a building, and discovering new spaces. I love that creating imaginary spaces has no limits. Things don’t have to actually make sense, so I have fun with structures that may not be possible to build in real life.

Do you have any favourite architects?

I’m obsessed with Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill. He mixes classic and contemporary elements in a really inspiring way. I also love designer Camille Walala – she creates incredible, colourful interiors and spaces that inspire pure joy.

What advice do you have for young illustrators?

Creating your own work should always be fun, experimental and without pressure and limits. And practice makes perfect – so make time for it!

Who should be on our radar locally?

Darren Christian (@big_diff_) is an amazing concept artist, he creates haunting scenes and illustrations that always blow me away! I also love Lauren Fowler’s (@bylaurenfowler) whimsical, fantastical style and Eloise de Klerk (@ello_xray_eyez) is a firm favourite of mine!

How can people get hold of your work?

You can order my prints directly from me by emailing kim@superelastic.co.za, or visit my Instagram account, @kimkimbolino for more info. You can also buy my prints from Fabricate (in Cape Town) once it’s open again.

The post Artists We Love: Kim Bischofberger appeared first on Visi.