An Exeter Co-op employee has gained global recognition after designing a show-stopping logo for pop star Rihanna, which he designed at Sidmouth library.
Known for many years in the city as 'Lord of the Logo's', Belgium-born Christophe Szpajdel is renowned for designing heavy metal band and fashion logos since the late 1980s.
But now it's the big time, after one of his visually striking designs was projected onto a 100ft backdrop at the MTV VMA awards.
The dazzling Rihanna logo was featured during a live performance of her single "B*tch Better Have My Money", and transmitted across the globe to millions of viewers.
All a far cry from his much-loved role serving city centre shoppers.
On July 1, following an exhibition of his work in London, he encountered a member of Rihanna's management team on the tube between Canada Water and London Paddington.
"I met a lady on the tube and I passed her my card," explains Christophe, "She then contacted me a week later saying that she like my work and wanted a logo for Rihanna.
"So in August when I was at the Sidmouth Folk Festival, also working at the Co-op in Sidmouth, using my free time I worked on the logo at Sidmouth library.
"I did the Rihanna logo with my usual sequence of pencils and pens. I did a few drafts that I completely finished and out of all the drafts that I finished two of them have been used, one that looks very 'death metal'
"I know that Rihanna was very attracted to this kind of occult design, she had a clip where the 'illuminati' was involved."
"Three of them have actually been selected. I had to speak with a renowned graphic designer in Italy who digitalised and vectorised the logos."
Ultimately Christophe's dazzling designs had to go through four management 'middle persons' before his design eventually reached Rihanna.
He was given a $200 deposit for the work, and paid $300 after it was completed.
Despite his work now emblazoned on t-shirts following a wave of praise on social media after the VMA's, he has not been in the contact personally with the Barbadian singer.
His work with Rihanna has inspired him to design logos for other pop artists, including Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Calvin Harris - with hopes they will see and request the use of them.
But appropriating iconic metal designs for pop acts attracted some criticism die-hard members of the heavy metal community.
Christophe said: "If it was 10 years ago I would have probably been reluctant to create a logo for Rihanna, but now at this time of my life this has actually helped me make a giant leap - not only for my artistic career but for the type of art I'm doing.
"It has given it more recognition. Think about Neil Armstrong when he walked on the moon in 1969, and said it was a 'small step for man, but a giant leap for mankind.' That is how I see this for my work and for this type of art."
Christophe, who lives at Stoke Hill, will be recognisable to anyone who has shopped in the various Co-operative convenience stores around Exeter, from Haven Banks to Sidwell Street.
He says the fame isn't going to his head, as he promises to continue serving customers and stocking shelves for the foreseeable future.
He first moved to Exeter in 2006 and praises the city's size and its rich and diverse history, which serves as an influence for his unique artwork.
"I first went to some gigs at Exeter Cavern and soon found Exeter to be a very handy city and everything is literally a minute away with my bike. I can in a split second I can be at the library and then three minutes later I am at work.
"I have made Exeter my stomping ground."
He prefers to work out in the open, drawing inspiration from city beauty spots.
He says he has created "thousands" of band logos from the library's outdoor cafe area at Rougemont Gardens. He can also be found creating his work at the Mill on Exe.
Now his artwork has now been noticed on a wider scale, and even bagged an interview on New Zealand news show Nightline on TV3. He also has interviews lined up with VICE Magazine.
"People have begun stopping me in the street saying "you are the man who is designing these logos" – from the darkest metal head to the most normal person that could walk the street.
"There has been a lot of feedback about my work, including back here in Exeter."
Christophe's work is set to be showcased at the "Words and Pictures" exhibition at Torquay's Artizan Gallery, on Lucius Street, throughout October.
He also has an event planned that will take him to Tokyo, Japan in the coming weeks.
A documentary about Christophe and his work is in the finishing stages, and will be premiered at Exeter Phoenix.
