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Society and its issues is a topic often covered and discussed by many, especially artists. They love to portray the problems society has in their creative work and make a statement.

That's what Stephan Schmitz, a Swiss illustrator, does. He takes pop culture, politics, mental issues, and many other topics often discussed and fought over and turns them into deep and thought-provoking illustrations. Every single one of his drawings has an idea behind it and most will find something that relates to them.

Stephan has been featured on Bored Panda before, here's part one and part two.

More info: Instagram | stephan-schmitz.ch

Stephan Schmitz gave an interview for Bored Panda and told us the main goal of his illustrations: "I love to surprise the viewer. To catch someone's attention with an illustration, I like to play with our viewing habits. I try to achieve that by combining objects, symbols, or scenarios, by working with negative space, or by tinkering with the rules of perspective. In the best cases, the image produces an 'AHA' effect for the viewer. I think, once you've got someone's attention through an image with this method, it will automatically make him/her think about the subject. Even if it is only for a couple of seconds."

#2

Illustrations Depicting Society Life By Stephan Schmitz (55 New Pics)

schmitz_illustration Report

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Norah Reilly
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have to keep in mind that, unless we change ourselves and what we want, we'll just produce another Trump.

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Chloe *Leah* Pheonix
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What an awful exuse for a person. He tore America apart. He said what he built in 4 years, Biden will destroy in 4 months. But the truth is, what Obama built in 8 years, he tore apart like a rabid hyena in 8 days.

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Bacony Cakes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We thought he was a clown, but ended up being Hitler in a stupid yellow wig.

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Earl Grey
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Isn’t it a little ironic that one of the few industries and sources of income for North Korea is the manufacture of giant bronze statues for Dictators? https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35569277

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LJ Robinson
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd bring a picnic and friends. And dogs. And balloons. I would cheer.

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Who Cares
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Look I hate to get political, but I think the democratic BP hive mind needs to keep their opinions to themselves.

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Marsha Fredell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To all who wish to criticize and critique my statement. ..... I total respect your opinions...... if we all felt the same way the world would be a very boring place. Keep standing up for what you believe.

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Anna Salerno
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I detest Bored 😑 Pandas left leaning bull s**t!!! I’m HATE it!!

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Anna Salerno
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Best president this country has ever seen ever!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 I love 💕 President Donald J Trump! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

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Anna Salerno
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Best president this country has ever seen!, I hope and pray he makes a glorious comeback!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

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Jesse Rowell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love all the hate you people vomit out. Way to be on representing your true selves. Hate filled and righteous. Wanting people dead?

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Nnamdi Israel
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2 years ago

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Its funny how people who say the man instigates hate, do it better than him...as far as things go you're not different from him, In fact he's better.

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Aaron Lowe
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2 years ago

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Pretty ridiculous that in all the comments that are "Pro-Trump", they are hidden. One more reason this joke of a website Bored Panda is left-leaning and liberal, and is pretty much all anti-American, anti-Christian, and should be considered hate speech. Please, block this comment, so our "right-wing" views cannot be seen. Unless of course you will brand it "terrorism" like you do everything else.

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Tres D
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2 years ago

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They should be putting them up for him!!

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Marsha Fredell
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2 years ago

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He is disliked only because of his arrogance and for being brutally honest and out spoken, but while in office he did make America great again. We weren't reliant on other countries. The unemployment rate went down drastically, etc. Biden after less than 48 hours in office cause the loss if thousands if not millions of jobs and shut down our pipeline causing a fuel shortage. Trump is a business man and knows how to get things done. Come on 2024!

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thatmagicgaychick
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He is the reason COVID-19 has killed so many in the US, he refused to acknowledge it until it had gotten a good enough hold he couldn't ignore it anymore. Besides, he is an awful person. Racist, xenophobic, homophobic, sexist, an admitted sexual predator, I could go on.

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Shea
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2 years ago

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lol trump was great!! Trump 2024!! 🇺🇸 'MERCA

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"I've loved drawing since I was a kid and always wanted to become a comic artist. As a boy and later as a teenager, I used to copy the characters of my favorite French and Belgian comic books and invent my own stories with them. I didn't know about illustration in the way I work today until I was around 20 years old and had to decide in which direction I wanted to move forward in art school. I studied illustration in Lucerne, Switzerland, and later art education in Zürich, Switzerland."

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"The most difficult but also most intriguing part is coming up with new ideas. How can I twist a scene, landscape, a room with a person in it, in a way that it tells a story to the viewer? A story in one image with a pun at the end... Again, I am talking about the 'AHA' effect here. I think it is very satisfying for the person looking at the image to decipher the image and understand what the artist meant by it. Basically like understanding a joke or seeing a magic trick."

Stephan tells us about the topics he covers: "Usually the client comes to me with a subject. This covers pretty much everything from finance, health, politics but also cooking psychological topics and digitalization. In my personal work, I like to come up with ideas that revolve around interpersonal relationships, self-perception, and psychology in general."

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The artist describes his style: "I used to say it's a graphically reduced style with a subtle palette of colors. Basically, a very typical editorial style. Although I have been getting into more complicated compositions and details in some of my recent work. Also, the color palette got much bolder and brighter than it used to be some years ago."

#11

Illustrations Depicting Society Life By Stephan Schmitz (55 New Pics)

schmitz_illustration Report

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Earl Grey
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t get angry like that anymore. I used to ignite, followed by a Vesuvius of profanity. Now, I find that sort of response just too exhausting, unproductive and frankly unintelligent.

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"I started working in this style and with idea-based images in 2014. I get asked from time to time if I think that it will get boring at some point. I don't see that point yet. I try to keep evolving and have been evolving since 2014. At least that is how I feel. I am rarely 100% satisfied with the outcome of an image. So there is always a little voice telling me: 'well... that could have been done better... maybe next time...' It's this voice, this feeling that can be very depressing but also very motivating. I try to keep that in balance as well as I can."

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#12

Illustrations Depicting Society Life By Stephan Schmitz (55 New Pics)

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Clandestine
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ah but they might sleep better not feeling each other tossing and turning.

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Stephan tells us what motivates him to keep moving forward: "That little voice... Haha! But also the feeling that basically, I got the job of my childhood dreams. I can draw all day long and I get paid to do that. I won't become a millionaire in my lifetime but... again... I get paid to draw and to come up with ideas... How wonderful is that? So even when I am having a bad day I try to remind myself of that. I work in a beautiful shared studio space with wonderful artists and I love my job. That is worth a lot, I think."

#14

Illustrations Depicting Society Life By Stephan Schmitz (55 New Pics)

schmitz_illustration Report

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Gin Marie
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Men fantasizing about a fake woman they created, but there's no actual human women around.

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"My mother's advice: 'When you really love something, you will eventually get good at it. When you're good at something, people will pay you for it.' I think you have to find a way of working, a style, a voice, whatever you want to call it... Something that you love doing so much that you will do it either way: If they pay you or not. When I got to that point and found out what kind of work I loved to do, I pretty soon started getting paid commissions," said the artist when asked to advise people who want to get into art.

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#17

Illustrations Depicting Society Life By Stephan Schmitz (55 New Pics)

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Marsha Fredell
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The weight of the world is on your shoulders. Overwhelmed by society, the government, by life itself.

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"I was born in the Dominican Republic in 1983 to a German father and a Swiss mother. Both development aid workers. When I was in primary school, we moved to Paraguay. I had a wonderful childhood there. We later moved back to Zürich, Switzerland where I went to high school and of course later to the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

After university, it took me more than 4 years to get enough work to make a living off of it. I was still finding out what kind of illustrator I wanted to become... so I had different day jobs... I worked as a gardener and at a local cemetery, in a beverage warehouse, later also as a high school teacher... Today I live and work in Zürich."

#18

Illustrations Depicting Society Life By Stephan Schmitz (55 New Pics)

schmitz_illustration Report

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Mark Serbian, PK&RG,W
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The pandemic forced many of us to do this just so we could play our instruments. It's less satisfying but better than not playing.

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Illustrations Depicting Society Life By Stephan Schmitz (55 New Pics)

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Merrill N. Munro
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love how there's a soaring bird above the man in the machine meant to mimic a bird.

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"Thank you so much, everybody out there. It is incredible that so many people around the world get to see my work. It's just fantastic and some years ago I would never have dreamed that this could become true someday. Be kind to each other! Cheers from Zürich!"

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What do you think about these illustrations? Did you relate to any of them? Did they make you think, or not really? Tell us in the comments down below and don't forget to upvote your favorite ones. Also, go follow Stephan Schmitz on his social media accounts and show the artist some love if you enjoy what he does! Spread joy and happiness and always try to be kind.

#21

Illustrations Depicting Society Life By Stephan Schmitz (55 New Pics)

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Steffen Rehm
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hop one Day, everyone can be everything, without being judged or forced to do something else. because you have the wrong tone, wrong sex, wrong country, wrong parents, etc.

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Illustrations Depicting Society Life By Stephan Schmitz (55 New Pics)

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Annie
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Totally accurate representation of what happens when "lovers" have an affair.

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#27

Illustrations Depicting Society Life By Stephan Schmitz (55 New Pics)

schmitz_illustration Report

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Merrill N. Munro
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

United States and the European Union trying to intimidate China. China ain't havin' none of THAT.

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#30

Illustrations Depicting Society Life By Stephan Schmitz (55 New Pics)

schmitz_illustration Report

Note: this post originally had 55 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.