I made my way to one of my favourite cities, Berlin, to catch the tail end of the 2015 Illustrative Festival. Berlin is known as one of the thriving art and cultural hubs of Europe, so I was excited to be visiting. I love to travel and explore different genre of art to see what is in and what might be missing.
Illustrative was founded in 2006 and is recognised as one of the most famous and prestigious cultural organizations in the world of illustration and graphic arts. Previous festivals took place in Berlin, Paris and Zurich. Illustrative stands at the forefront of research and promotion of new contemporary art trends in illustration and graphic arts. Illustrative organises exhibitions and research in all its specific sectors: conceptual illustration art, animation, contemporary drawing, illustrated objects or scenic installations. Illustrative brings together Art and illustration.
I must say, when I booked my flight to Berlin, I thought I was attending the 2015 Illustrative Festival, but it seems it is no longer just a festival organized by the curators, but now an event made of three pillars, which includes The Young Illustrator Award, The International Main Exhibition and Collateral Events.
Illustrative 2015 now titled the YIA (Young Illustrator Award) Finalist show took place at Direktorenhaus Berlin, one of Berlin’s most vibrant centres for applied arts and culture. The YIA aims to support young artists and the genre of illustration as well as to give visibility to the creative potential of contemporary graphics, illustration and animation. This year entries featured the work of more than 100 artists working internationally who have been nominated by highly respected critics and curators from around the world.
I made my way to Klosterstr station on the U bahn in Berlin. Outside the station I was a little lost, so I asked for directions form a lady at a museum and I was directed down a little street called Am krogel, which she said is one of the smallest streets in Berlin.
There were some gorgeous architecture in the vicinity.
The exhibits included animation, short films, mixed media paintings, drawings and illustrations. Here are the highlights of the YIA Finalist Show, which took place 30th Oct – 8th Nov 2015.
As I proceeded to enter the rooms of the exhibitions, I could not help but notice the diagonal placed pieces of wood on the ceiling, which added to the artistic ambiance of the building.
Caleb Reid
I was drawn to the abstract works of Caleb Reid, as I was not expecting to see paintings at this event so I was pleasantly surprised.
Reid is an Australian artist. In this latest works of Reid, the artist explores further the relationship between creative and emotional forces.
Karsten Schulz
I was attracted to these unique wooden bowls with nails. I thought it was a clever use of contrasting materials.
Here are some other works by the same artist on the table.
Ohto Oinaanpaa
It was all about the lighting in this exhibition, the neon works of Oinaanpaa came alive in a dark room. Oinaanpaa works drew me in as there was so much going on. I could not help but lean in and get closer to see more of the surrealist creations.
I was fascinated by this piece, showing different elements of a film production.
Oinaanpaa is from Finland with a degree in Graphic design.
Ben Sack
Sack is from the USA. Sack explores architecture as a flexible medium capable of exploring the unique space between realism and abstraction. I love the compact detail and distinctive buildings and landscapes at the centre of each creation.
Close up View
I made my way to the top floor via these gorgeous spiral wooden staircases.
Ken Gun Min
The works of Min immediately grabbed my attention as I proceeded to explore the art on display. For me, these large vibrant works stole the show and this was reflected in the price of each of the pieces, which ranged from 6,400 – 36,600 euros. These were one of the expensive pieces at event.
The light hit the painting on the right spots, bringing the glitter and bling on the painting alive.
I love the way Min incorporates haberdashery materials with vibrant paint colours in his works.
Ken Gun Min is from South Korea and now lives in San Francisco where he studied illustration.
Andie Dinkin
Another black and white piece that got my attention was the works of Andie Dinkin, a recent graduate from Rhode Island school of design, where she majored in illustration. I like the way she captured the busy scenes.
Andreas Geffe
Following through the with the busyness theme. I like the colourful and interactive works of Geffe from Switzerland, depicting numerous characters. He skilfully captures the moment in each scene with his paint brush, almost creating a photographic image.
His Portriat work is also fascinating.
Erik Mark Sandberg
I found these works interesting and repulsive at the same time. I think it is the black twisted rubbery looking skin that makes me look away, but I am also fascinated by the texture, composition and layering in the works.
Close Up View
What do you think about these pieces? Do share in the comment section.
Jilipolo aka Javier Medellin Puyou
Jilipolo aka Javier Medellin Puyou presented some intriguing pieces, I particularly like the facial expressions of the characters in his works.
Jillipolo is from Mexico and draws inspiration from 70’s vintage, traditional Asian art and contemporary works.
Jack Sachs
Last but not the least is the animated works of Jack Sachs from the UK. Sachs is a 3D animator/illustrator. Having suffered an injury that left him unable to draw for some months, he turned to learning 3D animation and he has since combined the two techniques in his creations.
I leave you with a short clip of Sach’s animation.
Look out for my blogpost on an amazing artist sandpainter Angela Kaiser. I walked into her exhibition, after I left the Illustrative event, her work is extremely unique.
The next Illustrative event is Illustrative 16 – The Biennale of Illustration & Graphic Art will take place between 14th – 23rd October 2016 in Berlin. See you then.x
