“Banknotes should be beautiful and colorful”: Swiss passport and banknote designer Roger Pfund passed away

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Swiss passport and banknote designer Roger Pfund has passed away. The graphic artist and painter died on Saturday at the age of 80, a family member told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Sunday. French-speaking Swiss television RTS had previously reported.

Pfund is known for the design of the Swiss passport, which came into circulation after 2003. It was his idea that each of the 26 cantons should have its own page with its coat of arms and iconic symbol.

Pfund and his co-designer wife are considered the inventors of thematic banknotes. He designed banknotes for many countries, including the last series of French banknotes called “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Argentinian banknotes with Evita Peron. He is also the author of the last Swiss reserve series, dated 1984, found in the vaults of the Central Bank.

“Banknotes need to be beautiful, colorful and tell a story,” the artist once said. “Banknote is the cultural ambassador of a country.”

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Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (60) praised Pfund as “an outstanding personality in Swiss art”. Bundestag Member

Pfund initially worked as a jazz double bassist. In 1958, he formed a jazz trio with his friends and, in addition to painting, took to the stage semi-professionally.

In 1963 he received a federal specialist diploma and completed an apprenticeship as a graphic designer. In 1966 he established a studio in Bern. Five years later he moved to Geneva. At best, Pfund’s studio employed almost 20 people. However, it went bankrupt in 2016.

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Throughout his 50-year career, Pfund has worked in many fields, from graphics to architecture and design, as well as securities design. On the occasion of Switzerland’s accession to the UN in 2002, he also designed a special 90-cent postage stamp for the Swiss Post. He also designed the interior of the International Red Cross Museum in Geneva and designed Reka checks and debit cards for major bank Credit Suisse.

As an artist, Callas painted icons such as Rimbaud and Proust. She received many international awards. In 2002, she was honored with the French Order of Arts and Letters. His works are exhibited in Europe, America, Africa and Asia.

A dual Swiss-French citizen also took an active role in education. Created an international network of graphic designers. This allowed young designers to continue their training in various workshops in Europe for four years. (SDA/kae)

Source :Blick