Iris van den Akker is an illustrator, 2D animator, enthusiastic art collector and overall supporter of creative women. She works from her studio in an 1892 warehouse located next to the IJ in Amsterdam. She loves to surround herself with her creative friends, her collection of plants and wine on fridays.
Iris loves colorful, graphic images that take reality with a grain of salt. She is happiest when fiddling with color and dragging with shapes, until she is satisfied. She works mainly for ad agencies, magazines, animation studios and publishers, but has also created work for architecture festivals, international popstars, tiny house communities and design retreats.
Photo by Maan Limburg
selected clients
Dua Lipa • Facebook Messenger • The Washington Post • ASUS • UN Migration
Centre Pompidou • Plansponsor • Booking.com • Essity • DPG Media • Pelckmans Uitgevers
Mariniersmuseum • Diabetesvereniging Nederland • Hortus Botanicus Leiden • KRO-NCRV
FD Media Group • Blossom Books • Anorak Studio • de Effenaar
selected accolades
2019 • Nominated
2017 • Nominated
2016 • Winner
Procreate Art Prize
Boekieboekie Start Award
My Creative Tale, Adobe
education
2015 - 2016 •
2011 - 2015 •
Master of Animation
AKV St. Joost Breda, the Netherlands
Bachelor of Design (Illustration)
AKV St. Joost Breda, the Netherlands
exhibitions
July 2022 • Solo show ‘A few hours in Tokyo’ at the end of my artist residency at Almost Perfect - Tokyo (JP)
April 2017 • Bologna Children's Book Fair - Bologna (IT)
June 2016 • Illustration Biënnale, Toneelschuur - Haarlem (NL)
January 2016 • 'My Creative Tale', ADCN - Amsterdam (NL)
July 2015 • Draw The Line, AKV St. Joost - Breda (NL)
October 2014 • Level Up, Electron - Breda (NL)
September 2014 • Beeldspraak, Koffie bij Teun - Breda (NL)
February 2014 • Raaf: een dwarsdoorsnede, Electron - Breda (NL)
February 2014 • Festival 39 graden, Podium Bloos - Breda (NL)
December 2013 • Blik&Bloos, Podium Bloos - Breda (NL)
April 2011 • Redesign vinylcovers - Rotterdam (NL)
community
2023 - present • Co-host Illustration Ladies Amsterdam
2015 - present • Playgrounds Eye Candy Editor at We Are Playgrounds Digital Arts Festival
stay updated
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