The Journal
The Dutch Uncle Journal is a considered study of illustration, design, and animation in practice, how they are conceived, commissioned and realised in the wider world.
This is where we share the thinking behind our latest projects and engage with the wider shifts shaping visual culture, from the resurgence of handmade texture to the ways art redefines the spaces we inhabit.
A considered collection of work and ideas from the front line of contemporary illustration.
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Brian Rea / Noma Bar / Satoshi Hashimoto / Javi Aznarez / Debora Szpilman / Simone Massoni / Ping Zhu / Klaus Kremmerz / Lucas Varela / Charlotte Trounce / Marc Majewski / Kustaa Saksi / Alessandro Gottardo (SHOUT) / YOCO / Hsiao-Ron Cheng / Jisu Choi / Graham Roumieu / Tavis Coburn / Joel Holland / Robert Nicol (MA RCA) / Clara Dupré / Marc Burckhardt / Aesthetic Apparatus / Jon Gray (Gray318) / Christian Montenegro / LAPRISAMATA / Gaku Nakagawa / Adam McCauley
Brian Rea illustrates 52 Break-Up Lines for The New York Times, Modern Love
The New York Times Modern Love feature gathers 52 real-life breakup lines, funny, brutal, and unexpectedly poetic, illustrated by Brian Rea. His minimal, human drawings elevate the piece into a quietly powerful study of how relationships end, revealing humour and vulnerability in equal measure.
FOSCARINI x BRIAN REA — Whats In A Lamp?
Brian Rea’s collaboration with Foscarini for What’s in a Lamp? transforms Italian lighting into narrative subjects. Through six animated films, Rea applies his signature "Modern Love" sensitivity to designs by Garcia Cumini and Ionna Vautrin, proving that illustration and motion can shift a lamp from a technical solution to a vessel for joy, memory, and quiet conversation.
Brian Rea and the The History of Illustration (Fairchild Books – Bloomsbury)
Brian Rea contributes to The History of Illustration, a comprehensive academic volume edited by Susan Doyle. Spanning global visual culture from ancient to contemporary practice, the book positions illustration as a critical discipline, linking historical image-making traditions to modern storytelling and communication.
Brian Rea’s Modern Love: A New Twist on Familiar Lines
Brian Rea continues shaping Modern Love with quiet precision. His minimal, emotionally attuned illustrations respond to each essay without overstatement—capturing intimacy, distance, and connection through simple forms that feel both immediate and enduring.
Brian Rea exhibiting with CMay Gallery at KIAF Seoul
Brian Rea presents new paintings with CMay Gallery at Kiaf Seoul. Set within one of Asia’s leading art fairs, his work sits among an international mix of established and emerging voices, marking a confident expansion of his practice into large-scale contemporary painting.
Brian Rea Draws Recovery into Focus at the New York Center for Living
Brian Rea collaborates with the New York Center for Living to translate recovery into clear, compassionate visuals. Through pared-down illustrations and animation, his work supports outreach and education, making complex paths around mental health and substance use feel more accessible, human, and quietly hopeful.
Whale Eyes — A Groundbreaking Illustrated Memoir by James Robinson, Featuring Art by Brian Rea
Whale Eyes by James Robinson, with illustrations by Brian Rea, redefines the memoir through immersive design and emotional storytelling. Blending visual experimentation with personal narrative, the book invites readers to see differently—transforming perception into a powerful, interactive experience that resonates across generations.
