ELATE*: In which cities have you already lived (and where do you want to go)?
I’m from a small town in Sweden called Karlskrona where I studied Digital Media at Hyperisland. I moved to London to do my internship at Delete Limited. Moved on to Stockholm where I live and work today. Great city and I don’t want to be anywhere else at the moment!

ELATE*: What did you want to be when you were a child?
As many other young children I wanted to be a famous rock star. It didn’t work out that well, but I just started to play the guitar so who knows… Some day?

ELATE*: Where do you take your inspiration from?
I get my inspirations from everything I can think of, especially in the summer when everything is colorful and alive. Everything from a misty morning in the city to the open ocean.

ELATE*: Which designers, artists or creative people are your source of inspiration?
I don’t have any special artist or photographer that I get my inspiration from, but a site that I visit every day to see if there is any new amazing photos is: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture They got so many photos of so many different things, it’s hard to not be inspired by them.

ELATE*: How would you describe your artistic style? How has this style developed over time?
Since i’m quite new as a photographer, I won’t say that I have any unique style, I just love to take nature photos.

ELATE*: Where do you work on your designs and projects?
All my photo editing is done at my brand new (!) MacBook Pro at home. (Not included in this old picture.. ) And of course it’s an “IKEA office” since I’m from Sweden, did you think it would be anything else than that? : )

ELATE*: What does a typical day at work involve for you?
Since I work as a front-end developer I go to the office and work with many different kind of projects (non photo related) and when I got some time over I go out for a walk with Anna and my camera.

ELATE*: Where can one come across you, where do you like to spend your leisure time?
I feel like I don’t have any leisure time at all since I’m starting up my own small freelance company parallel with my normal work. But when I actually have some time over then I usually watch some sport event in Stockholm such as hockey or football.

ELATE*: What’s your favourite music genre / band / artist / DJ?
I listen to most genres but I listen to bands like Slipknot, Mudvayne and Metallica more frequently than other bands. I like to have loud music on when I work to be able to concentrate even more.

ELATE*: Your last redundant purchase?
That would probably be the latest Final fantasy game to PS3 that I have no time what so ever to play.

Jimmie Österberg Portfolio on TALENTARENA

ELATE*: In which cities have you already lived (and where do you want to go)?
I’ve lived in my hometown Brcko when I was way too young to remember. The war led me and my family to Stockholm, Sweden. A place I really enjoy.
Of course I would love to visit Tokyo and New York. But wherever I end up, I’m still going to end up with myself.

ELATE*: What did you want to be when you were a child?
I never had an exact idea of what I wanted to be. No title attached. Doctor, truckdriver, cook, none of that.
I did have some very interesting visions when I was a kid, but not since then. And those visions have been strong enough to keep me doing what I do.

ELATE*: Where do you take your inspiration from?
From the the strongest lines in a poem, the most odd shapes in a building, the melody that sets one in trance. And then it’s just like riding a bull.

ELATE*: Which designers, artists or creative people are your source of inspiration?
My subconscious gathers inspiration from everything and everyone I encounter. I can’t leave no one out. Everything that is made from the heart inspires me. Be it music, art or a really deliciously baked cake.

ELATE*: How would you describe your artistic style? How has this style developed over time?
I’m an artist. I try to create art with my “orchestra” or “army” which consists of color, shape, contrast, texture…
It’s the immediate effect of the artwork that is more important to me rather than the style it was made in. My style is no particular style – as I develop, my style develops. Hopefully into something better.

ELATE*: Where do you work on your designs and projects?
Wherever an idea strikes me. It used to be in my garage or at home. But now I’m in the office most of the time. I have a really big, robust table here that I built with friends from scratch.
Scanners. Papers. Pens. Computer. I prefer to create my artwork here.

ELATE*: What does a typical day at work involve for you?
I check my e-mail over a cup of coffee and try to write down all the major tasks that have to be done for that specific day. Sometimes I succeed in clearing all of them – sometimes not a single one.

ELATE*: Where can one come across you, where do you like to spend your leisure time?
Well, I like to hang around with people who are on a similar journey to mine. It could be anywhere.

ELATE*: What’s your favourite music genre / band / artist / DJ?
I listen to everything from Bob Dylan to dancehall music depending on what kind of mood I’m in. Getting stuck on one music genre can be dangerous. Can’t it?

ELATE*: Your last redundant purchase?
I bought 3 different types of jeans jackets.

Indir Topcagic aka One Drop Portfolio on TALENTARENA

ELATE*: In which cities have you already lived (and where do you want to go)?
So far I have lived in Auckland, New Zealand, Vancouver, Canada and Copenhagen, Denmark. I’d love to live / work in either New York, San Francisco, London, Berlin or Sydney, in no particular order.

ELATE*: What did you want to be when you were a child?
Like every kid, I was pretty addicted to the traditional animated cartoons on TV like Hanna Barbera, Tom & Jerry etc, but it wasn’t until my University years that I got into it. I always liked painting and drawing but didn’t really think about doing that when I grew up, my ambitions were more in the lines of becoming a half police officer half F1 driver.

ELATE*: Where do you take your inspiration from?
I guess since I’m from Brazil inevitably a lot of my inspiration comes from Brazilian culture, but I’m also very drawn to art nouveau and swiss typography, and lately scandinavian design, since I’ve lived and been working in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the last couple of years.
I use print design (specially poster design) as reference a lot, mainly because I love posters and also because I think they are very unique. I also watch (lots) of motion pieces and reels every day, that keeps me fresh and up to date with what’s happening in the industry as well.

ELATE*: Which designers, artists or creative people are your source of inspiration?
Oh wow, there are so many I admire. I guess if I had to pick one or two I’d start with Saul Bass, he will always be the master of Motion Design and Title Design in my opinion. He came up with pieces that were almost unthinkable then, using total analog technology and coming up with mind boggling, breath taking pieces. More contemporary speaking, Danny Yount is perhaps my favorite Motion Designer / Director today, his projects never cease to amaze me, always unique and flawless, both conceptually and technically.

ELATE*: How would you describe your artistic style? How has this style developed over time?
I think my style could be called a “hybrid”, I mean I don’t think I have a particular style (yet) but I think I do have some sort of consistency in all styles I try to interpret on each project I take on. I guess since I’ve travelled and studied / worked abroad for a while that has “molded” me into a multi-faceted designer, if you can call it that. I don’t know, it’s a real mess!

ELATE*: Where do you work on your designs and projects?
Since I’ve just moved back to Brazil, I usually work either from my home office or on location at the studios / production houses that hire me for freelance gigs.

ELATE*: What does a typical day at work involve for you?
Wake up, have breakfast, lots of coffee, read the newspaper (first page and sports page), turn on the computer, read emails, surf the web / books for inspiration, begin work / search for work (freelancing involves a lot of PRing…), stare at the computer for 8 to 10 hrs (and have some food in between), turn off the computer, either go to the gym for a swim / workout or sleep, depending on the hour, oh yeah, and eat before sleeping.

ELATE*: Where can one come across you, where do you like to spend your leisure time?
At home, at the beach (when I have the time to travel) surfing, at the movies or enjoying some cold beers at many different bars / clubs in São Paulo.

ELATE*: What’s your favourite music genre / band / artist / DJ?
Hum… Tough one! I like indie rock and electronic music a lot, as well as post rock and Jazz. I’m always listening to music whether it’s at work, home or on the treadmill. I’ve been listening a lot to Yeasayer, Beirut, Temper Trap, Mogwai, TV on The Radio, Hot Chip, Mdeski Martin & Wood, Trentemøller and Stephan Bodzin lately, but that can change any minute!

ELATE*: Your last redundant purchase?
A couple of kick ass t-shirts from Rebel 8, tattoo artist Mike Giant’s clothing shop.

Marcos Ceravolo Portfolio aka Boca on TALENTARENA

“Foxy French urban punkette Missill’s second opus is a dirty driven dancefloor affair.It also
dabbles successfully in hip-hop, grime and breaks.Get on it!”

Her latest killer blow: the Missill Live Gang - her new live formation. Armed with a customised keytar in reference to the ‘Targets’ sleeve, she’s now got a drummer, guitarist and MC. Awesome! But - make your own decision of Missills music on the TA-Profile!

ELATE*: What did you want to be when you were a child?
A Dad!

ELATE*: Where do you take your inspiration from?
Nature mostly - but I am also very moved by indigenous artifacts and native designs. While we are on the topic of inspiration I think its a good time to plug my inspiration Blog.

ELATE*: Which designers, artists or creative people are your source of inspiration?
Present Day: Shepard Fairy, AJ Fosik, Christopher “Konie” Conine.
Of All Time:  The Mayans, The Aztecs, The Native Americans.

ELATE*: How would you describe your artistic style? How has this style developed over time?
In my personal work I always have resonated with the idea of creating a vintage future. Calling on ancient symbolism to describe a simple yet vibrant image of today’s dream. The more I see, the more I travel and push my boundaries the more real this becomes.

ELATE*: Where do you work on your designs and projects?
My home studio in Silverlake, California… I love my neighborhood!

ELATE*: What does a typical day at work involve for you?
Morning walk for coffee with my creative partner Dugan, working on contract work or personal projects most of the day, and tons of Hugs and High Fives into the night.

ELATE*: What shoes are you wearing at the moment?
So glad you asked - my GOLD “LA GEARS” of course.

ELATE*: Where can one come across you, where do you like to spend your leisure time?
If I’m not in my digital studio I’m most likely in my art studio crafting on some custom recycled sculptures, or deep off the grid soaking up the nature vibes.

ELATE*: What’s your favourite music genre / band / artist / DJ?
Coming from Detroit I have always had a strong relationship in with electronic music, and being able to work with THE GLITCH MOB has been an amazing opportunity. These guys are incredibly talented individually and together as the mob unreal.

ELATE*: Your last redundant (totally useless) purchase?
I’m pretty resourceful, if its useless I don’t own it, away with the clutter!

Brandon Hirzel aka BEMO showreel on TALENTARENA

THE GLITCH MOB : BEYOND MONDAY from BEMO | Brandon Hirzel on Vimeo.

ELATE*: What did you want to be when you were a child?
Jetfighter pilot and photographer. Surprisingly, the latter got more attractive during the years.

ELATE*: Where do you take your inspiration from?
Everywhere. Nature, people, books and internet to mention a few.

ELATE*: Which designers, artists or creative people are your source of inspiration?
So many. Now that information is so easy to get to there are so many artists that inspire me. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, but somehow all the information out there mix in my head and in the end become my own work. It has always been that way for everyone, but now I guess it’s harder to be original. Sometimes the smallest things can inspire to great work.

David Bailey, Robert Mapplethorpe, Erwin Olaf, and Annie Leibovitz are some of the artists I have really liked for many years.

ELATE*: How would you describe your artistic style? How has this style developed over time?
From a boy starting out with a b/w Kodak film in his father’s darkroom, I would say it has developed a lot from then to now. Both intellectually and technically. I love the historical and classic aspects of taking photographs, now naturally I’m using modern ways of getting where and what I want, for me the traditional darkroom is history. Now my darkroom is my Wacom tablet and developer software. It’s hard for me to put a finger on my style, for me it varies a lot and is always under development, but I hope my works can give an idea of something bigger as there’s a story in each work. As I started out experimenting with graphic design and graffiti as a kid, I think that has inspired my style somehow, not so visually but in the way I think in each precess.

ELATE*: Where do you work on your designs and projects?
At the moment my studio “base” is in Kristiansand, on the south tip of Norway.

ELATE*: What does a typical day at work involve for you?
They differ a lot. Somedays I have the whole day on location, others in studio pre- or post-production.

ELATE*: What shoes are you wearing at the moment?

ELATE*: Where can one come across you, where do you like to spend your leisure time?
There’s a café in Kristiansand, where I live, called “Frk. Larsen” (”Miss Larsen”). I usually go for coffee there. Other than that I love our summerhouse, where I spend a lot of time during the summer. A lovely place called “Høvåg”.

ELATE*: What’s your favourite music genre / band / artist / DJ?
I’m quite schizophrenic in my music genres. I listen to a lot of different stuff.
Air France, Biosphere, Chet Baker, Clipse, DJ Shadow, Faithless, Massive Attack, PJ Harvey, The Knife, Tosca to mention a few.

ELATE*: Your last redundant (totally useless) purchase?
Last Purchase: New bike, but I totally need it. I can’t remember buying any useless stuff.

Arild Danielsen Portfolio on TALENTARENA

Get in contact or check out music of Paul Kalkbrenner on his TA-Profile!

ELATE*: In which cities have you already lived (and where do you want to go)?
I still life at my parents to be honest with you guys, planning to move to Amsterdam next year.
It’s always been a dream of make some world trip while doing freelance work. So hitting places like Tokyo, New York, Shanghai, Melbourne, Montreal would work very inspiring for me, I guess.

I hope to start up my agency in a big city one day…

ELATE*: What did you want to be when you were a child?
Nothing really, I started to dream of being a graphic designer when I was 15.
I think I dreamed of being a profesional sporter, used to speed skate and playing soccer 6 days a week! I remember my dad wanted me to do some private University back then, since I was one of the smartest kid’s around - haha.

ELATE*: Where do you take your inspiration from?
Emotion, Music and other artistic mediums like Photography, Movies, Commercials and so on. It’s like the daily routine for me to take a look around and see what’s cool and what isn’t.

ELATE*: Which designers, artists or creative people are your source of inspiration?
Hard one! I get mainly inspired by music artists or dj’s. But when it comes to digital work I always take time to look at the work from guys like Alex Trochut, Joshua Davis, David Mascha and Jerico Santander.
It’s different every day! I love people who do matte paintings, I love people who do abstract and I love people who do typography. I saw the Happiness Factory (Coca Cola commercial by Psyop) again in the cinema last night, always been a major inspiration source for me.

ELATE*: How would you describe your artistic style? How has this style developed over time?
I hear quite often that you can recognize my style whenever I create something without telling people I did it. I don’t know, maybe it’s some kind of flow I use in every project I do…
I’ve been trying out a lot of things, started with Bryce 3D back then, to make some easy profile site layouts for myself. Discovered the pentool in photoshop later. Just dropping random shapes, random colors to blend it into one image later. Used lot’s of splatter brushes back then.

After that I discovered how I could blend photography with my abstract forms. Pieces like The Dopeshow came out of that.
When clients started to book me for photo-related work only I decided to wok on abstract again in my free time. And that’s the point where I’m at right now. Doing more photo related work again right now btw. I don’t like to repeat the same thing for to long.

This is my first piece ever, in the winter of 2004 lol!

ELATE*: Where do you work on your designs and projects?
Haha still at home, don’t got that much work to hire a studio for myself yet, would just be a waste of money. I needed to clean up the place before I took this pic:

ELATE*: What does a typical day at work involve for you?
I always work in chill-out clothes. Grab my cup of coffee and start doing some random stuff based on the brief. Whenever I create something that got potential I take a break for a hour or so, to play some game, grab a shower or chill out at my balcony for a while. After that I’m always having a direction I want to follow and that’s it. I usually can’t stop working on client jobs in the night, so I always keep working on, while working time is over.

ELATE*: What shoes are you wearing at the moment?
Adidas! A german brand right?!

Got the red version of these as well!

ELATE*: Where can one come across you, where do you like to spend your leisure time?
In the pub, grabbing a beer with my friends or at some crazy party in Amsterdam. Watching football or playing FIFA10 is something I love to do. I used to read every night as well, loving that!

ELATE*: What’s your favourite music genre / band / artist / DJ?
I don’t mind most of the time. The guys from Underworld inspired me from the beginning tho’.
Digital music is the best music to get inspired with:
Guys who inspire me are names like Deadmau5, Daft Punk, Justice, Groove Armada, James Holden, Tiesto, Dakota, Gabriel & Dresden, Armin v Buuren too from time to time.
I got like 30 albums of the Rolling Stones, all the Nirvana and Doors albums, like 12 Tiesto CD’s and even got some mozart album right here, so it’s all pretty random. As long it’s good and works inspiring to me it’s okay.
In my last pieces I was mainly listening to Green Day, Jay-Z, Akon and Kanye West, ha!

Rik Oostenbroek aka Nkeo Portfolio on TALENTARENA

ELATE*: In which cities have you already lived (and where do you want to go)?
I have already lived in Plymouth, UK, where I had been studying for 4 years. For a year I lived in Thessaloniki in Greece and I currently live in Nicosia, Cyprus, where I work at Green Olive Films.
I always liked to visit south Italy.

ELATE*: What did you want to be when you were a child?
I always liked to sketch. I guess I wanted to be anything that had to do with that.

ELATE*: Where do you take your inspiration from?
I take my inspiration from many sources and many artists and lots from the internet.

ELATE*: Which designers, artists or creative people are your source of inspiration?
I have many new born artists as my source of inspiration where I spot their works through blogs and communities such as Talentarena.

ELATE*: How would you describe your artistic style? How has this style developed over time?
I’d say my style is sketchy? Minimal? I am not sure… but I know for sure it needs more work each time I look at it.

ELATE*: Where do you work on your designs and projects?
I currently work in Nicosia, Cyprus.

ELATE*: What does a typical day at work involve for you?
Wake up, go to work, come back sketch a little, go to bed!

ELATE*: What shoes are you wearing at the moment?
I just bought some Yankees shoes… they feel great!

ELATE*: Where can one come across you, where do you like to spend your leisure time?
Most of the day in the City center. Sometimes I also go for running in the park while listening to music.

ELATE*: What’s your favourite music genre / band / artist / DJ?
At the moment I am listening to Moby, Mogwai and to lots of soundtracks. Some Chillout too…

ELATE*: Your last redundant purchase?
A Godfather poster.

Alexis Marcou Portfolio on TALENTARENA

ELATE*: In which cities have you already lived (and where do you want to go)?
I was born in Sydney, but moved to Melbourne when I was quite young, and have lived there ever since. However my travels have taken me through India, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Belize, and now Mexico. Next stop is the United States, where I’ll be looking for work at production companies in either Los Angeles or New York.

ELATE*: What did you want to be when you were a child?
Indiana Jones or a Ghostbuster.

I never really knew what I wanted be when I was a kid. I chopped and changed a lot when I was growing up. I always loved drawing though, and was constantly coming up with crazy business ideas. In my teens and early twenties I played bass in a shitty band, and was certain I wanted to be a musician, but I ended up studying criminal psychology (I had a sick fascination with serial killers). I pretty quickly realised it wasn’t for me though and eventually moved onto visual communication.

ELATE*: Where do you take your inspiration from?
Without wanting to sound like a wanker, I take it from everywhere. Life, dreams, travel, art, film, literature, music, food, the people I meet and their stories. I do sound like a wanker don’t I?

ELATE*: Which designers, artists or creative people are your source of inspiration?
That’s kind of a tough question. There are heaps. In terms of art and design, Jonathan Zawada and Stefan Sagmeister blow me away. The photographic work of Guy Bourdin, Gregory Crewdson, Ryan McGinley as well as a bunch of photojournalists is hugely inspiring. And in film, Nagi Noda, Kris Moyes, Timothy Saccenti, Jonathan Glazer, Michel Gondry, Chris Cunningham, David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson, Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, The Coen Brothers and the entire Coppola family are my idols. But there’s heaps of other sources of inspiration as well, inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil, authors Brett Easton Ellis, Graham Greene, Hunter S. Thompson, Nick Hornby, Haruki Murakami and a shit load more. It’s near impossible to narrow them all down.

ELATE*: How would you describe your artistic style? How has this style developed over time?
It’s hard to describe my style in terms of visual aesthetics. I think one of my biggest aims in pretty much everything I do is to infuse my work with a narrative, whether it be real or invented, overt or implied. The initial idea or concept for my work is key, and the visuals tend to flow from that. Having said that, I guess most of the executions for the work I do these days are photographic or video-based. I used to work for a media and creative agency called Lifelounge, where I started off doing a lot of traditional graphic design. I was there for almost five years though, and in that time I had the opportunity to work as an editor, photographer and designer on Lifelounge Magazine, as well as on the agency side as an art director. So I guess my work has slowly evolved to revolve around storytelling. I’ve always wanted to make music videos though, I’ve been obsessed with them ever since I was a kid, so when the opportunity arose for myself and my partner-in-crime - writer Chris Cork - to direct one, we jumped at it. It turned out pretty well, especially considering that there was literally no budget, so this is where I’m hoping my career is going to head from here on out. I love working with film.

ELATE*: Where do you work on your designs and projects?
Hmmm. Well I used to work in a nice open-plan converted warehouse when I was at Lifelounge, and for all my freelance stuff I either worked on location for shoots, or out of my apartment on my Macbook Pro. Since leaving Melbourne however, my workspace has generally consisted of a beach or a jungle, my Canon G10 and a little netbook which will probably explode the next time I attempt to open Photoshop. I miss my Mac, but we will be reunited soon in the US.

ELATE*: What does a typical day at work involve for you?
A lot of brainstorming, meetings, emails, photo and film shoots both on location and in the studio, liasing with photographers, animators, web developers, setting fire to things and other general anarchy. Right now however it involves sitting on beaches, scuba diving, fishing, shooting photos, drinking cervezas, and working on my tan. That’s going to have to change pretty soon though.

ELATE*: What shoes are you wearing at the moment?
Barefoot baby. I’d include a picture but my feet are basically ragged, leathery stumps right now. Probably not that interesting to anyone but a podiatrist. Otherwise I’d be wearing my Chucks.

ELATE*: Where can one come across you, where do you like to spend your leisure time?
Well right now you can find me by walking about 10 minutes out of Puerto Escondido town and heading towards Manzanillo Beach. I’m the guy with the G10 and the netbook. At home I’d be the drunk guy at the back of a local bar called Yellow Bird, waxing philosophical about life and other such things.

ELATE*: What’s your favourite music genre / band / artist / DJ?
I listen to pretty much everything. Currently I have Arthur Russell,  The Beach Boys, Cut Copy, Dennis Wilson, The Doors, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Flying Lotus, Fever Ray, Gang Gang Dance, Harry Belafonte, Health, Johnny Cash, Jay Z, Les Savy Fav, My Bloody Valentine, NWA, Nas, New Order, Notorious B.I.G., Panda Bear, Pantera, Prince, Radiohead, The Ramones, The Rapture, The Rolling Stones, Sigur Ros, Souls Of Mischief, TV On The Radio, The Wu-Tang Clan and The XX shuffling around on my iPod. Hence the alphabetical order.

ELATE*: Your last redundant purchase?
Five hand-painted life-size ceramic skulls bought on Isla Mujeres, off the coast of the Yucatan. Turned out that the shipping cost three times more than the actual skulls.

Dimitri Kalagas Portfolio on TALENTARENA