Iris van den Akker is a commercial illustrator,
2D animator and supporter of creative women.
Photo by Maan Limburg
Her work is clear, vibrant and optimistic, favouring a playful voice. Iris enjoys working on projects with a sustainable tone, with botanical elements or human stories as a focal point. Her careful approach results in warm, sophisticated illustrations with a lot of detail and texture.
Iris enjoys collaborating with nice people and 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. She works with clients from all over the world.
Iris works from her studio, an 1892 warehouse located next to the IJ in Amsterdam, which she shares with three other freelance creatives. She loves being part of Amsterdam's creative community, has previously co-hosted Illustration Ladies Amsterdam, and remains dedicated to supporting a stronger position for women in the creative industry.
selected clients
Dua Lipa / Facebook Messenger / The Washington Post
Farmer Gracy / IOM UN Migration / Hortus Botanicus Leiden
KRO-NCRV / ASUS / FD Media Group / Centre Pompidou
UGent / Pan Macmillan / Plansponsor / Booking.com
International Literature Festival Utrecht / Essity / DPG Media
Le Guess Who / Pelckmans Uitgevers / KoffieTcacao
Mariniersmuseum / Unieboek | Het Spectrum
Toffey / Diabetesvereniging Nederland / Kidsweek
Basecamp Eco-resorts / Blossom Books / Unilever
Anorak Studio / de Effenaar
exhibitions
Feb 2024 • Artists from West, The Villy Rhapsody, Amsterdam, NL
May 2023 • SPOTLIGHT, Factor IJ, Amsterdam, NL
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
Jan 2016 • My Creative Tale, ADCN - Amsterdam, NL
July 2015 • Draw The Line, AKV St. Joost - Breda, NL
Oct 2014 • Level Up, Electron - Breda, NL
Sep 2014 • Beeldspraak, Koffie bij Teun - Breda, NL
Feb 2014 • Raaf, Electron - Breda, NL
Feb 2014 • Festival 39 graden, Podium Bloos - Breda, NL
Dec 2013 • Blik&Bloos, Podium Bloos - Breda, NL
April 2011 • Redesign vinylcovers - Rotterdam, NL
selected accolades
2022 • Artist in Residence at Almost Perfect in Tokyo, Japan
2019 • Nominated for the Procreate Art Prize
2017 • Nominated for the Boekieboekie Start Award
2016 • Winner of My Creative Tale by Adobe
2016 • Master of Animation, AKV St. Joost
2015 • Bachelor of Design, AKV St. Joost
community
2015 - present • Playgrounds Eye Candy Editor at We Are Playgrounds Digital Arts Festival
2023 - 2025 • Co-host Illustration Ladies Amsterdam
2023 - 2024 • Lake Coloring Ambassador
stay updated
Subscribe to my newsletter here, which I will send out 3 or 4 times a year. I will write about my recent works, blog posts, shop updates and other things I like.