Graphic Design and Illustration

I have always been fascinated by crime scene investigations, at least by how they are portrayed in films and TV series. The idea that it is possible to recreate a sequence of events through careful observation – the strand of hair sent for DNA analysis, or the brush with powder that reveals fingerprints.

I came to think of this when looking at this year’s degree projects. Here, there is a willingness to investigate, to apply different methods to understand a subject in depth. Our students take on the challenge with the tools and methods they have learned to master. They have looked in archives, searched their own memories and conducted interviews. They have developed their thoughts through practical work by using their hands – with pencils, brushes and paint, with sketchpads and drawing tablets.

The result is a number of works where the research process has been allowed to control the outcome. Here, you can find textile printing, comics and type design. Places, objects and events are visualised. Text and images come together in a variety of formats.
I also recognise that my association with forensics has its flaws, because it is not final answers that are sought. Rather questions are raised around marginalised cultural expressions, mourning processes and play, around whether graphic design can induce physical shivers, about the possibilities of a deck of cards and the depths of the sea, about comet cats, underground trolls and witches, and what kind of place is Katrineholm, really.

Our students’ degree projects are a collection of visual investigations that create new spaces and open up new possibilities.

Jöns Mellgren
Lecturer and Programme Coordinator in Graphic Design and Illustration