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Shake it up: The story behind The Bulletin's spring magazine cover

23:33 28/03/2018

For The Bulletin’s first issue of 2018, we invited Iranian Azam Masoumzadeh to illustrate the cover. The visual artist and digital storyteller has been in Belgium for six years and this was her first commission for us. The brief was simple: a springtime image of Brussels, combining recognisable city elements with human figures.

Masoumzadeh, who lives in Boitsfort, was inspired by the nearby Bois de la Cambre. “But Brussels is also really crowded and always on the move, so I added the tram and buildings to show its liveliness,” she says. With her home country also an influence, Masoumzadeh chose to depict families in her typical rounded style. “I always try to include something from Iran and when I think of my country, I think of couples and families, and these are also Belgian values.”

Here we asked for a lone figure and possibly a sporting element. Masoumzadeh was happy to oblige and chose a jogger to reflect the familiar sight of runners in her nearby park, as well as our feature looking at cheap exercise options.

For the colour scheme, we were in unison: the image didn’t have to represent reality. “When I think of spring,” says Masoumzadeh, “I think of green, but I added other transparent layers.” The shower of rain and the contrasting geometric shapes and add visual tension; an interplay of conflicting elements.

While pursuing postgraduate studies in digital storytelling in Ghent, Masoumzadeh works as a freelance illustrator and artist. “I like to be inspired by Iranian art, which typically is simple but also complicated with lots of details; there’s no perspective so you enter into a dreamy world,” she says.

Inside our spring edition:

  • Ahead of our Brussels Moves! event on 26 April, we catch up with the region's mobility minister Pascal Smet who tells us about his mission to get the city moving
  • #EUToo: women in the know tell us why workplace sexism is rampant in the capital of Europe
  • You are not alone: get the lowdown on setting up your own business
  • The 60th anniversary of the World Expo is a chance to reflect on what it symbolised
  • How do you make multilingual education work for your children?
  • The people of Brussels speak up about how safe they feel on the streets
  • World Cup goal: spotlight on a golden generation of Belgian footballers
  • Thanks to urban artists, the capital’s walls are a feast for the eyes
  • First-rate first dates: we’ve got some romantic inspiration for those early encounters
  • Burn calories, not a hole in your wallet with our pick of cheap exercise options
  • Victor Horta’s everywhere in Brussels, especially this year. We explain where to spot his work
  • Make like a master chef and whip up a Belgian speciality at home
  • My Brussels: Jeroen Roppe from Bruzz tells us what he loves about the Belgian capital
  • Directory: Your practical guide to life in Belgium

Pick up a copy in newsstands for €4.95 or take advantage of our subscription offer - €14.95 for four issues.

Written by The Bulletin