Meet Aksel Ceylan: The Prominent Turkish Designer Responsible for the Branding of Miami’s Raleigh Gardens Exhibition
Miami’s hottest art exhibition.
Since the onset of the pandemic, Miami has quickly emerged as one of the top markets in the United States. Despite the economic downturn that much of the world has faced, over the last 12 months, real estate and business in South Beach has boomed as many Americans and foreigners have relocated to the south-eastern coast of Florida. Also known for their globally recognized art & design community, Miami is and has been home to the work of many talent, including the recent addition of work by a respected Turkish designer by the name of Aksel Ceylan. Just under two years ago, Aksel became a cherished fixture in the art community here in the States, specializing in graphic design & art direction, particularly after his exquisite work as part of Miami’s iconic Raleigh Hotel “The Raleigh Gardens” exhibition 2019 and 2020.
After an illustrious ten-year career, Aksel has been awarded more than 70 awards domestically and internationally, being recognized as one of Turkey’s premier talents. Last year he was awarded Best Album Cover Design of 2020 for his work on RnB artist Can Kazaz’s Kizilgerdan Singles from the GMK Awards. As a dedicated art director, he has since collaborated with world-class brands like Coca-Cola Company, Vodafone, Axe, and many more. But it was his work at The Raleigh Hotel that transcended the art community back in 2019. Created by real estate mogul Michael Shvo who recently purchased the iconic hotel from fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and designed by renowned architect Peter Marino, The Raleigh Gardens quickly received critical acclaim for its lush combination of the use of flora and art. As a tribute to late artist duo Xavier and Claude Lalanne, The Raleigh Gardens exhibition held 40 sculptures valued over $60 million.
The public art installation was indeed an elaborate undertaking having been designed and constructed in just a month’s time. In addition to the gorgeous transformation of the gardens, it was the iconic branding of the Raleigh Gardens exhibition that earned Aksel recognition in USA. After taking every single piece of art piece and bringing it to life with his illustrations, each as their own living characters, the designer completely transformed the identity and branding of the exhibition as it was seen in banners, flags, and more all across Miami Beachwalk. Using black, gold, and white for the schematic colors, Aksel created a tastefully elegant brand identity for the entirety of the exhibition. His designs and elements would later go on to be utilized for endless uses for the branding, website designs, and more. The exhibition was visited by over 10,000 people in its first week with premium coverage from major publications like Vogue, Forbes, Wallpaper, The New York Times, Architectural Digest, and countless celebrities.
But above all, what was most remarkable of Aksel’s work was, despite the fact that he managed to deliver a distinguished, fully-encompassed brand identity to the exhibition, he had been selected as the premier choice over a group of major design studios and notorious creative teams. His exclusive approach to the design elements of the exhibition exceeded the firepower of entire creative teams, granting him the creative freedom to bring the branding to life. Wearing many hats throughout the process, Aksel was a creative director, graphic designer and illustrator; designing, handling, processing, and finalizing the look and feel of the entire brand. He would later receive the award for Exhibition Design of the Year for his work on The Raleigh Gardens.
As Aksel continues to earn recognition in the United States for his unrivaled work as a designer, he now looks forward to taking on more projects that will challenge and inspire him to create his art through new and unique vehicles. To learn more about Aksel Ceylan, visit his website or follow him on Instagram.