His picture book "A Million Dots" is a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books 2019 Winner. It starts with a single tree and by doubling the numbers on each page reaches more than a million within 44 pages. A book about the magic and poetry of math and exponential growth.
Together with The Police frontman Sting, Völker has released his first picture book at NordSüd Publishers. In "There is a little black spot on the sun today", his bright illustrations transform Sting’s evocative lyrics from the song "King of Pain" into a minimalistic children’s book that explores pain's sadness, beauty and wonder.
His new book "Are We There Yet" about a bear and a butterfly and their great journey is a story about friendship, patience and the cycles of being. Published by Cicada Books, London.
"The Piano" is a minimal picturebook that turns the 88 black and white keys of a broken grand piano into a universe of animals. A surprising book like a roller coaster full of sounds and noises.
Brandeins Magazine
Sven Völker is Professor for Experiment and Strategy in Graphic Design at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. He studied at the University of Art in Bremen and received an master degree from Middlesex University in London. In 2004 he was appointed professor for graphic design at the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Karlsruhe and since 2010 tought at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art in Halle.
With his small and unconventional Berlin based studio he designed the award winning corporate identity for the japanese Suzuki Motor Corporation and other commercial clients. Völker combines graphic symbols, colour, form and typography in a playful, modular way and allows them to evolve in ever new combinations.
In his art projects he transfers his visual approach from his picture books into the world of painting, sculpture, installations and even onto the stage. For the State Opera in Halle/Saale, he created the stage design for the novel symphony "The Trumpet of the Swan" by E.B. White. His large scale light and print installations traveled to exhibitions in Norway, Prague, Basel and Bern.
Since 2010 he bi-annually publishes Some Magazine together with his students. He is editor of"Some Book" at Lars Müller Publishers, has written "Go Faster", a book about the graphic design of racing cars at Gestalten Publishers and co-authored "Der Welt über die Straße helfen" - written and edited together with german philosopher Peter Sloterdijk in 2010.
Contact
Sven Völker Studio: studio(at)svenvoelker.com
Literary Agent: Roofmusic: Kristine Meierling
University: University of Applied Sciences Potsdam and: Some Magazine
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Deutschlandradio Kultur
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
spiegel.de