about

freelance book designer and visual artist
based in Basel, Switzerland



My practice operates at the intersection of art and design, where projects develop through research, visual exploration, and a process-oriented approach.

Coming from a background in architecture, my design practice is rooted in thoughtful consideration of spatial, tactile, and temporal elements. Working across visual communication projects, specifically book design and printed matter, I maintain a critical eye on detail, materiality, and sensory experience.

My work as a visual artist questions the human condition and how we live. I am particularly interested in exploring concepts of time, nature, and nonverbal communication – in relation to ourselves and other living and non-living beings. Through multidisciplinarity and iterative experimentation, my practice primarily includes works on paper, such as mixed-media drawing, film photography, analog printing processes, and bookmaking.

open to collaborative projects, commissions, and
freelance work. full portfolio is available upon request. 
︎︎︎nicole.salnikov@gmail.com
work experience
2023–current: visual artist, freelance book and graphic designer
2014, 2017–2020: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in Philadelphia, PA, USA
2016: Kreider + O’Leary in London, UK 
2015: Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi in Philadelphia, PA, USA 

education
2020–2022
Master of Arts in Visual Communication and Iconic Research
The Basel School of Design
Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst HGK, FHNW
Basel, Switzerland

2010–2014
Bachelor of Science in Architecture
Tyler School of Art, Temple University
Philadelphia, PA, USA

selected exhibitions 
two solitudes 
Duo exhibition with Nicolas Coia
im Schaufenster 
Basel, Switzerland
September 2024

Experiments
Group Exhibition
Photobastei
Zürich, Switzerland
May 2024

Conversations / Conversazioni
Group Exhibition
Gallery of Art, Temple University Rome
Rome, Italy
March 2024

NEXT GENERATION Diplomausstellung
The Basel School of Design
Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst, FHNW 
Basel, Switzerland
September 2022

publications / awards 
A New Forgetting
Mixed media artwork
Summit Journal Issue 321, Fall 2024

Tuesdays in the Park, 2016
Cover art, 35mm photography
The London Magazine, August/September 2024

The Spirit of J&H
Silkscreen print, limited edition
Summit Journal Issue 320, Spring 2024
 
NewOne Award, Finalist 2022
Editorial Design
Basel, Switzerland

artist residency
2022: ÖRES in Örö, Finland with Michelle Bezik
2018: Can Serrat in El Bruc, Spain with Michelle Bezik

CV
social








© 2015–2025 Nicole Salnikov