enVISION Feature: Bene Rohlmann

German illustrator Bene Rohlmann's talents are on display in our colourful new capsule collection!

Monstercat enVISION

Monstercat enVISION is our latest collaborative venture aimed at empowering creatives beyond the music industry. We’re working with artists and designers around the world to put together exclusive apparel lines that reflect their different takes on the Monstercat brand. By partnering with experts in the field of visual art, we get the unique opportunity to introduce Monstercat fans to the world of visual creativity, perhaps inspiring them to pick up the pen themselves. We’ll also get to see our familiar mascot depicted in vastly different styles on exclusive and limited silhouettes!

This month, we’re kicking off our visual art-focused program with Bene Rohlmann. Stationed in the capital city of Germany, Berlin, he has been hard at work on the designs featured in the exciting new enVISION line that’s set to drop at 12PM PDT on April 29th!

Meet the mind behind the designs

Growing up reading comic books and watching cartoons in his hometown of Münster, Germany, it’s quite clear where visual artist Bene Rohlmann’s stylistic cues come from! Ever since he was a young boy, Bene’s been expressing himself creatively through his artwork. Visual art is a part of who he is and lets him convey his thoughts and emotions freely.

Bene started studying design in 2007 with a specialization in Illustration. He graduated from FH Münster in 2012, after which most of his time was spent building up his portfolio and reaching out to art directors. Since then, his journey as an artist has taken him all over the world and his work can be found on many different canvases, from mixtape covers to Landyachtz longboards!As seen in his Monstercat enVISION line, Bene’s art takes real world inspiration and conveys it in a vibrant, playful style that he’s become known for.

“I never really liked to draw realistically,” explains Bene, who joined our Merchandise Manager, Hollie, for an interview earlier this month.

“I mostly drew my own characters and these were, of course, always inspired by the cartoons I watched and the comic books I read. Later, I was interested in manga and I would draw Dragon Ball characters, and then Pokemon, so it was always an inspiration for me.”

Bene’s tropical designs give the collection its unique vibe

We are extremely excited to introduce the world to Bene’s creative and unique portrayal of our very own Monstercat mascot. Pairing traditional Monstercat with his signature vibrant, cartoony style, his creative talent has brought these apparel designs to life.

“I think music and visual art has always been connected,” says Bene when asked about the connection between music and art.

“Like every album comes with cover art and merchandise art. I think it just really makes sense to connect the two. So, people who listen to the music of Monstercat, I'm sure, are also very interested in visual art. People who want to support their favorite labels and artists, I think it’s really nice for them to be able to choose to represent their favourite bands through purchasing art [or] merch that speaks to them.”

We’re happy to be a part of Bene’s artistic journey

We love Bene’s collaborative approach to working with art. Communicating with other people that share similar interests at the same level of enthusiasm is a major part of what makes the Monstercat community so close-knit. At the same time, for visual artists, it’s much of the same; working in solitude and drawing for oneself can be fatiguing and lonely. By pursuing collaboration in the visual space and, like with Monstercat enVISION, crossing different industries, artists get the opportunity to interact with other people and accumulate many other perspectives on their work.

We’d like to give a huge shout-out to Bene for doing such an amazing job on his Monstercat enVISION line. The bold colours and tropical aesthetic are perfect for the summertime, and we can’t wait to see how they look on you. Check out the entire enVISION x Bene Rohlmann Collection HERE.

More of Bene’s creative designs can be found on his Instagram and website, so be sure to go check them out when you have a chance!