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DINOS, 2024
Kintsugi Album
Label: SPKTAQLR
For French rapper Dinos's 2024 album Kintsugi, the challenge was to translate the album's profound central metaphor—the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, into a powerful and resonant visual narrative. The concept centered on the beauty of resilience, where vulnerability and strength are not opposites but intertwined.
My illustration visualizes this by placing three rhinos, a clear nod to the artist's name and a symbol of thick-skinned resilience, within the stark, concrete landscape of a French banlieue. This juxtaposition is the heart of the piece: these majestic, vulnerable creatures inhabiting a hostile, urban environment. The scene is not one of defeat, but of profound presence and intimacy. It speaks to Dinos's upbringing, illustrating how strength is forged in community and how beauty, the golden repair—shines through the cracks of a hardened exterior. The artwork moves beyond a simple portrait to become a layered emblem of identity, memory, and the dignified scars that make us whole.
Dexter Maurer
Photo: Luana Maurer
About
Dexter Maurer is an illustrator and art director specializing in translating cultural narratives into compelling visual worlds. His work builds a bridge between iconic brands and the nuanced language of contemporary illustration, crafting images that are both immediately striking and rich with story.
With a distinct style that blends graphic sensibility with narrative depth, he collaborates with clients like Nike, The New Yorker, and Jordan Brand to define the visual identity of their most ambitious campaigns. His process involves deconstructing themes of music, sport, and culture to their core metaphors, reassembling them into illustrations that resonate on an intuitive level.
Whether developing the art direction for an entire album campaign or creating a single, iconic loading screen for Fortnite, his focus is on constructing a cohesive and resonant visual universe for every project.