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Zamdane, 2024
Solsad Album
Label: Décibels Productions
This project involved creating the key visual for rapper Zamdane's album, Soleil Triste (Sad Sun). The album explores profound dualities—the tension between hope and despair, love and suffering, and the darkness that can reside within light itself.
My artistic approach was to personify the album's central metaphor into a singular, powerful icon. The illustration depicts a "Soleil Triste": a sun overcome by its own destructive intensity. This celestial body is portrayed not as a source of life, but as a force that inadvertently scorches and damages the environment it illuminates. The sadness of the sun comes from this self-awareness, creating a poignant visual analogy for the internal conflicts and emotional turmoil detailed in Zamdane's music.
The artwork serves as a direct and evocative gateway into the album's soul, translating its complex emotional landscape into a simple yet devastatingly resonant image.
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.