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Just like Neo from The Matrix, we sometimes get a strange feeling deep in our guts that something is not quite right with the world. German artist Steffen Kraft, who also goes by the name Iconeo online, makes amazing social commentary pictures that highlight how ironic, weird and even hypocritical life can sometimes be.

Here are what we believe to be the most visually appealing pieces of Kraft’s unique artwork. So scroll down, upvote the ones you like, and share your thoughts in the comments. And make sure to read Bored Panda’s in-depth interview with the artist down below. After you’re done admiring these meaningful drawings, check out Kraft’s previous post on Bored Panda.

More info: Iconeo.de | Facebook | Instagram 

#1

Thoughtful Illustrations

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    Bored Panda reached out to Iconeo to learn more about him, the way he creates his meaningful art, and the philosophy that hides behind each thought-provoking picture. When asked about the main inspiration for his art, Kraft replied that he find creative ideas in both small and large things.

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    “On the one hand, I'm inspired by little things, like my pencil, a cup of coffee or toilet paper. These little objects are icons. Everybody knows them. We don't have to think about their function when we see them. It's good brain training trying to place these things in a different situation. Sometimes, the results are meaningful, sometimes not.”

    #4

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    varwenea
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dumber meets dumber. Add Boris and there'll be a battle for the tweedle-dumbest title.

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    #5

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    Kaisu
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is essentially how soldiers are manipulated to give their lives for their country

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    #6

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    Daria B
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sadly, this one never gets old.

    Jo Bebe
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unfortunately, the ones getting bombed these days are already in a state of war and causing extreme harm to their own peoples

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    Alia G.
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    God, quit blurring things out it totally ruins the effect

    Miss Cris
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Moreover if it's an old worldwide wellknown sentence like this one.

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    Marnie
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Violence is the lowest form of communication - John Leguizamo's son (maybe someone else said it first, I don't know)

    Jace
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Stop f*****g censoring “bad words”.

    Mia Cardenas
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The powers at be at the expense of the people

    Tina Hugh
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So when someone tosses a bomb into a civilian target in your country, it’s wrong to bomb the place the missile it was fired from? I mean, you’ve got to destroy the missile so it doesn’t keep bombing you, don’t you? If you bomb just that missile, isn’t that in essence, ‘bombing for peace’? That’s not wrong, is it? What about if you text and call and otherwise warn everyone in the target area so they can evacuate? What about if you drop a concussive device to shake up the area and give everyone a final warning two minutes before? What about if you use a drone camera whenever bombing a building and halt the bombing if you see a bunch of kids pushed out on the roof to act as human shields? I only know of one country that does all these things.

    Evan Martin
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't even try Tina...this sites comment section is all about group think. If you decent from their point of view...instant down votes. Just watch mine :)

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    TheExtremeSmell
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you want peace prepare for war. Or maybe we should of nicely asked Japan and Germany to cut it out instead of joining the war.

    anita marx
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "The pen is mightier than the sword." And the truth: mankind stands still until we learn and try to do better.

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    Gerry Higgins
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    George Carlin said this 40 years ago. Not original.

    debrina blackmoon
    Community Member
    6 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    he made some good points and spoke many truths...aside: i liked his character Rufus in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

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    lincholn6echo
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Can someone please explain to me why cusswords are censored? I knew worse at the age of six. And especially this one is so true, it just needs the UC lol

    Incredible Turnip
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm pretty sure f*****g is the only way to create more virgins....

    Angie gibbs Gibbs
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Everybody stop coming everyone we are only a one world and the bombing has to stop and the Killing has to stop because we only got one life we'll never had another chance to live if anybody killed each other and gone and it together it's got to stop😭

    Georg Huber
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No, this is not correct. You can stop a war by fighting, but you can't stop pregnancy by ... And how should have Germany be stopped in WW1 and WW2 without fighting against it? That's why I always think of quitting Bored Panda because most of these "deep insights" are just trite if you start putting some thoughts to them.

    Leodavinci
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It seemed to work well in WW II... the bombing for peace part, I mean.

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    “On the other hand, I'm inspired by bigger things, like climate change, plastic pollution or social behavior. I try to make these complex themes simple and surprising,” the artist revealed to Bored Panda.

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    varwenea
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Luckily, Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Rosa Park, and many others didn't think so. Just need many more to think differently and take action.

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    anonymous person
    Community Member
    6 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Climate change is happening, people!!!!!! If we don’t act now to at least greatly reduce the rate at which it’s happening, our future children won’t have a hospitable planet to call home!!

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    Kraft believes that in our daily routine, we are “overwhelmed with images and impressions”, which is why we lose the ability to “self-reflect and to see the world from a different point of view.”

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    varwenea
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Plastic bags, choking the sea life to death, forever changing our ecosystem as we know it, is far scarier than a mere shark.

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    “Of course, I also produce images, but it's the kind of communication most people understand quickly,” he admitted. “My goal is to surprise the viewer with simple drawing ideas that they may not have thought about and which make them think, and make them discuss them with others.”

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    #13

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    Sherri Steinert-Brown
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is so on track with what you see . I live in a small town in Montana but travel to Seattle WA every EASTER for cosplay convention . while I was there people and I am talking about the majority of people were walking around just like this illustration they didn't even look up when they were crossing the crosswalk in front of traffic. I guess they assume all drivers follow the rules.plus I am originally from the south and so I say hi to everyone not one person looked up or said hi back wait one person did but they looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language . This is who we now are in this world and it worries me when I think of my grandkids being taught or just shown that this is correct it is not. Our first language is talking to one another lets keep this new generation on the right path .

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    #14

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    Kaisu
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wish there was an easy way for lonely people in the same area to meet up! However, a lot of people are too ashamed to admit that they're lonely

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    queen...<3
    Community Member
    6 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just because you aren't vegan doesn't mean that you hate animals.

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    Iconeo got a degree in Communication Design in Germany and founded an advertising agency. He admitted to Bored Panda that at that point he was “far away from being an artist” and also didn’t want to be one.

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    #16

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    Kaisu
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's really sad how some people base their self worth on how many likes they receive

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    RacconLifeGirlie
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    me trying to find the right angle to watch netflix in the middle of the night

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    “I liked to work for clients and create ideas to sell products. It was an important time for me, but after 8 years, I left the agency. Since then, I explored the art part inside of me. And it's a funny journey, not a straight path. I still do graphic design, logo design, poster design for clients, but more the artsy way with my style, not the advertising way with trendy images.”

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    #19

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    Tiffany Marie
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Who knows maybe that will be the rest of the world one day? Be like either Mad Max or Waterworld?

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    anonymous person
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So sad but accurate. Humans are such destructive creatures.

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    Kraft had some advice for all the new, veteran, successful and struggling artists out there: “Being an artist means having good times and having bad times, especially in the beginning. Be patient when you are uninspired or when you feel misunderstood. You are on the right path, as long as you are engaged in doing what you find interesting. And don't forget to relax. I get the best ideas when I'm relaxed and out of my office.”

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    Kaisu
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't assume you know how someone else feels until you ask. However, also don't kiss someone unless you have their consent

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    #24

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    Layla Cecil
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The vast majority of plastic comes from just a few rivers in China and India. They don't have trash pickup there, so people just toss all of their garbage into these rivers, which then feed into the ocean. Short of helping those countries with their waste disposal, the oceans will continue to fill with plastic.

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    Finally, Kraft told Bored Panda about his future plans. “I want to do a book for children, but as with every new thing, this is hard in the beginning. And I'm trying to learn AR-stuff to explore new ways of showing my art.”

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    #25

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    Shika Louis
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Even the turtles can't keep all the waste we leave... It's sad that turtles have to clean another species' mess

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    #30

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    M Dream
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    WARNING: Do not use plastic straws! Feel free to use plastic plates, pens, plastic anything else.. and of course products in plastic package. It's also ok to use products (of any material) that small children make in places outside your country. But please, do not use plastic straws or bags. Plastic life. One use only. Only for you.

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    Fish Boden
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I mean, just horrible. But beautifully done!

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    #33

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    #38

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    Night Owl
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    another meaning for "coffee shots" or for "espresso shots"

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