Book design

The award winning rapper reflects on his life and career in his autobiography, Mikael Gabriel – Alasti, published by WSOY. Accompanied by commentary from his closest friends, mentors, management and label heads, the book offers insight in to Gabriel’s life illustrated with images from his personal archives. The design of the book combines multiple storylines and image levels into an exciting whole. We developed a design that presents Mikeal Gabriel in a more raw and real way leaving out the show business filter.

The book starts with end papers that take the reader from the darkness of the cover towards content that shines a light on Mikael Gabriel’s life.

The book is organised into six chronological chapters, starting from Gabriel’s childhood and ending with his decision to take a break from his career and go on a hiatus. Each chapter begins with a collage of images from that particular period of his life. Combining all of the individual chapter collages creates a bigger gestalt of Mikael Gabriel’s life.

The sub-chapter pages guide the reader around Mikael’s childhood neighbourhood – Malmi.

The dust jacket shows Mikael Gabriel in this current moment retreating into the shadows but sill leaving the lingering feeling of a potential return. When removing the dust jacket we travel back in time to the beginning of the story, when Mikael Gabriel was still Mikael Sohlman. Together the covers encompass the whole story.

Client: WSOY
Sector: Books & Publications
Type of work: Graphic design
Book cover image: Janita Autio
Book content images: Janita Autio, Mikael Gabriel, Kobra
Case photography: Osmo Puuperä