Willi Baum is an acclaimed Swiss graphic designer who won many prizes, including the national competition for poster design for the Swiss National Philatelic Exhibition, which was also chosen as one of the best Swiss posters of 1951. This poster is currently exhibited in the MOMA museum in New York city. His adventures around the world greatly inspired his art, and one can see the influence of the world in his poster and graphic designs.
Getting inspired by South Africa and the Natural World, Baum immersed himself in taking photos of wildlife, and displaying their livelihood to the world of humans. In addition, while traveling to the US in 1958, Baum learned how to do mural paintings and watercolors. In addition, his adventures lead him to do horseback riding and engage in miscellaneous other activities with animals.
In 1969 he started drawing children’s books and wrote about a dozen of his own picture books, mostly for European publishers. His stories were mostly inspired by his travels and vacationing around the world. Having his own letterpress allowed him to get an output of private linoleum cuts over the years. In addition, he developed a good and steady relationship with a book publisher in San Francisco, which allowed him to have constant work in dust jacket book design, and required him to engage in more traveling around the world, which is something that we know he loves to do and inspires his work. He currently lives in Mill Valley with his wife Kimiko, who shares his love for Africa and the animal world. The backyard of their home is a favorite hangout for the local wildlife.
