Jędrzej Chełmiński – Designer

I’m a book cover designer based in Poland, currently open to working with authors and publishers internationally. I hold a master’s degree in graphic design from the University of Arts in Poznań, which I completed in 2015.

Since then, I have been collaborating with one of Poland’s leading publishing houses, Zysk i S-ka, designing covers for literary classics, fantasy, historical fiction, and other genres. Among my publishing projects was a 16-volume edition of Kurt Vonnegut’s novels, which has been featured in several selections of notable contemporary Polish book covers.

I have also worked for Nowa Baśń, creating cover illustrations for more than a dozen books in the Middle Grade fantasy series Warriors by Erin Hunter and Guardians of Ga’Hoole by Kathryn Lasky.

I like to keep my work minimalist and conceptual, with every element serving a purpose. I’m particularly interested in unexpected ideas and playful visual metaphors meticulously constructed from the themes, symbols, and details of a book. I believe that a good illustration doesn’t show what something looks like, but what it is.

When it’s appropriate for the genre, I also create digitally painted illustrations, often with a dark and slightly surreal quality. I love imagery that feels mysterious and evocative, with an emphasis on atmosphere, character, and storytelling.

I try to familiarize myself with the book as thoroughly as possible and understand its audience and the author’s or publisher’s vision. Concept development usually takes 1–3 weeks, with the complete process typically taking up to 6 weeks, depending on the scope of the project and the number of revision rounds. I prefer to take on a limited number of projects at a time, allowing me to give each one the time and attention needed for research, concept development, and refinement it deserves.