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 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
Satoshi Hashimoto illustrates UNIQLO Lifewear ‘Pufftech’
Satoshi Hashimoto illustrates UNIQLO’s LifeWear ‘Pufftech’, transforming technical innovation into playful, human-centred narratives.
His comic-like visuals bring clarity and warmth to performance clothing, shifting focus from engineering to everyday experience—where design becomes relatable, wearable, and embedded in daily life through character, humour, and accessible storytelling.
Drawn to Motion: Satoshi Hashimoto Illustrates Isuzu’s 2025 Truck Fleet
Satoshi Hashimoto reimagines Isuzu Motors’ 2025 truck fleet through refined line work and everyday scenes. Blending technical precision with human presence, his illustrations place commercial vehicles seamlessly into urban life—turning engineering into something quietly expressive, dependable, and visually composed.
Marc Burckhardt : Artwork for The Sims 4 ‘Enchanted By Nature’
Marc Burckhardt bridges painting, publishing, and gameplay in The Sims 4’s Enchanted by Nature. His Renaissance-inspired artwork moves from a Wattpad novel into the game itself, anchoring a cross-platform story where players don’t just explore the world—they actively help write it.
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.
Noma Bar x Acciona: Business as Unusual, illustrated campaign visuals.
Noma Bar partners with ACCIONA to distill complex sustainability ideas into striking, immediate visuals. The “Business as Unusual” campaign uses bold visual metaphors to communicate innovation in renewable energy and infrastructure—clear, intelligent images that make ambitious environmental thinking instantly understandable.
Brian Rea Animates Big Feelings for The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood
Brian Rea brings emotional clarity to an animated series for The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, translating complex developmental ideas into accessible, human storytelling. Through simple, expressive visuals, the films highlight how everyday interactions shape early childhood—making big feelings understandable for both families and professionals.
A Novel Approach: GRAY318 x Shakespeare & Company Bloomsbury Tote Bag
GRAY318 reinterprets the iconic Shakespeare and Company tote with bold pattern and hand-drawn typography. The Bloomsbury Bag transforms literary heritage into a functional object—part bookshop sign, part everyday companion—celebrating reading through design that’s both graphic 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.
Satoshi Hashimoto illustrating Swisspor’s World of Building Materials
Satoshi Hashimoto brings clarity and warmth to Swisspor’s technical world, transforming complex construction systems into engaging, human-centered visuals.
His illustrations guide readers through materials and processes with precision and personality—turning a functional catalog into a coherent, narrative-driven experience.
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.
Charlotte Trounce: Stillness in Motion at Morgans Gallery
Charlotte Trounce presents new paintings at Morgans Gallery, where everyday scenes are distilled into quiet, luminous compositions. Her work balances clarity and sensitivity—transforming domestic moments and natural forms into images that feel still yet subtly alive with colour and presence.
New York illustrations by Simone Massoni for Airmail.News
Simone Massoni captures the spirit of New York City in a new series for Air Mail. His sharp, elegant illustrations distill the city’s character into confident lines and subtle wit—perfectly aligned with Airmail’s cosmopolitan tone and editorial sophistication.
The Garden According to Charlotte Mendelson – Illustrated by Clara Dupré
Clara Dupré brings a sharp, botanical wit to Charlotte Mendelson’s gardening column in The Observer. Her illustrations echo the humour and drama of Mendelson’s writing—turning plants into characters and everyday garden mishaps into quietly surreal, visual punchlines.
Drawing Paradise: Illustrations by Yoco Nagamiya Give Four Seasons Maui a Makeover
Yoco Nagamiya transforms renovation into experience at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, using large-scale illustrations to turn construction barriers into serene, island-inspired installations. Her soft, hand-drawn visuals introduce a sense of place early—blending art, hospitality, and environment into a cohesive guest experience.
Debora Szpilman : Where Warm Meets Witty
Debora Szpilman brings tactile elegance and a "human trace" to global editorial giants like The New Yorker, The New York Times, and HBR. Defined by a painterly palette and quietly subversive wit, her hand-drawn authenticity transforms complex narratives—from wine culture to corporate strategy—into timeless, sophisticated visual stories.