kris once described his tattoo art as a kind of “order in the unorderly.” how he spoke of contradiction with reverence, because this tension can be intense but quiet, diffused and truthful, resonated deeply with our own coffee work at Sieve. the reality of our context as producers requires an agility few can sustain for long without fraying. at the same time, what we ultimately offer is an experience meant to be held in stillness: a coffee to sit with, a luxuriance although simple. crafted by community from growers to brewers yet gifted to the self. shared and yet, ultimately, enjoyed alone.
our space is one of many contrasts, neither punishing nor easy — simply a particular kind of dynamism.
kris’ work eloquently carries this edge of light and shadow, of wilding and balance orbiting each other: "the unorderly, messy, raw strokes of the brush meet the fine & tidy lines in my work and become a vessel for contemplation of the often chaotic nature of life."
his signature is in every vessel that visually describes Sieve and our coffees; his art on our textile wraps is part of a larger puzzle, piecing together the natural history of our coffees. it is a great gift to be creating together
? if someone were to describe your design style by way of the work of people you admire, can you name three of them — and what aspect of their personality or their work can we find in your own design? where might we have seen your art or design work? what do you think or hope people resonate with most about your work?
kris: my list of inspirations and idols changes all the time. right now, I would say my work is Josef Muller Brockmann meets Henri Matisse meets Ami Ray (https://amiray.design/). A random group of designers / artists. as a graphic designer, i take inspiration of systems, grids, logic from JMB, and expressive, tactile, grungy aesthetic from AR. as an illustrator / artist I take inspiration from expressive and free-flowing strokes of HM.
nowadays, you might see my work on billboards and social media accounts of football clubs, sportswear brands. a while ago, all my work would end up on people's skin, forever - I was (or still am) a tattoo artist under the name Sans Sens.
? what has been your favorite project you’ve worked on so far, and what about that project left a lasting impression?
kris: my favourite, or most proud project, changes often too. at the moment, I'm proud of the Puma x Jack Grealish campaign which I designed. it was the first time I saw my work on billboards. a lot of my favourite work actually ends up being the passion projects, which I do for fun or practice.
? your website says you do graphic design at the intersection of sport and culture, what made you take on a coffee project? what was the hardest part about creating a visual identity for something usually taste-sensory, like coffee? or if it was easy, what made it easy?
kris: I have been working where sports and culture collide lately, but I'm always very happy to step out of that and design for different industries. Designing in sports was my dream, but if I only do that, I get, I don't know - bored, maybe? The grass is always greener on the other side, hahah. It's refreshing to create for different audiences - I'm learning something new every time. I think designing for the world of coffee for the first time was nice, because the Sieve brand was intended to be almost a canvas for the coffees and stories to exist on, as opposed to a brand that's trying to sell things to you loudly. There's enough of that loudness in the world, so it was nice to approach the design process in a slower, calmer way too.
what was your first impression when you read the Sieve brief about the fabric wrap? what about it or Sieve felt aligned enough for you to lend your mark on it?
kris: I think the words "tactile" and "textured" really stood out to me when starting work with Sieve. In my tattoo work I used to use a lot of texture, and had developed a handpoke technique for brushstroke-like textures on skin, which was my "signature" style. That seemed like a great match from the beginning.
? after reading our design brief, how did you begin shaping the wrap’s design? can you walk us through your thinking or process from concept to what we see now?
kris: when drawing, I usually try to let go of expectations of what the outcome should look like - and just draw. the imagery we used as inspiration was of nature, and I started by simply started "blind-drawing" things, meaning not looking at the canvas and simply re-interpreting what I see in the inspiration imagery. then I took my favourite versions of those drawings, chopped them up, layered some over others and arrived in the final designs that way.
? is there something in your work you wish more people noticed — not for your sake, but because it might change the way they see or feel about the world?
kris: not really. I think the beautiful part about all of this is the fact that 100 people will see something, and they will have 100 different interpretations of it. i never felt like the purpose of my work was to shape any views, opinions or beliefs - instead tap into the ones people already hold.
? when you’re working, what detail in your craft do you find yourself paying the most attention to — and why? what’s a moment in your process that feels small from the outside, but is vital to you?
kris: i think it's the conceptual, "behind the scenes" work of a designer that not many people might think of. It's creating, shaping and re-shaping a narrative, looking for inspiration, doing research - both visually, and conceptually.
? if we were to collaborate again, what would you love to explore? is there a dream project you’ve always wanted to take on?
kris: perhaps it's not a dream project, but merch design is always fun to do. i think it's the fact that pieces of clothing can travel with a person and find themselves in so many different contexts - each of which would shape the way it's perceived. i think of the Tour Jumpsuits of Andre 3000 - the idea is simple, but the impact of a few letters on a shirt (or jumpsuit in this case) is underrated.
kris' approach felt like a reminder that our work, like coffee, can hold contradiction without collapsing it: sweet alongside the bitter, chaos that births clarity.
images from sans sens studio
kriskala.com
images of our textile wrap by @arabellapaner