The work of Russian based illustrator Nikita Kaun rests at the edge of destroyed perfection. There’s an acidic texture to his work — a drawing rendered immaculate, then eroded to its core pieces. It’s fitting that his clients include the bands Russian Circles and Dillinger Escape Plan, artists that work at the outer ridges of their field.
Kaun’s design for Terry Gilliam‘s ‘12 Monkeys‘ matches the fantasist’s dystopian film, all clutter and decay. He puts the focus on the two characters and the connection between them, and in that he is giving you the narrative.
Kaun’s work is not all heaving darkness and metal, there’s also a beauty to his work — the rosed-cheeks of the woman on the Russian Circles gig poster grounds the piece in ancient royalty and for working in a genre known for its complex darkness, gore, and morbidity, Kaun brings a sense of simplified design. His work uses a strong focal point, a figure, and grounds it in the architecture of the canvas.
Russian Circles gig poster for Moscow show by Nikita Kaun
’12 Monkeys’ by Nikita Kaun
Artwork created for the band Brunt by Nikita Kaun
Dillinger Escape Plan gig poster by Nikita Kaun
‘Tribute to Breaking Bad’ by Nikita Kaun
Artwork created for band She Was The Universe by Nikita Kaun
Designs for Union Skateboards by Nikita Kaun
Being As An Ocean gig poster by Nikita Kaun
For more of Nikita Kaun’s work follow these handy links —