A wild daffodil is the beard of the sailor who would rather work in his garden than travel on the ocean for days and nights with a rough crew. A crumpled map is the dress for the girl who takes a jump and decides to be less of a control freak.

Claudi Kessels’ work often combines photographical elements with drawings. These photographical elements are chosen with great care: they tell part of the story, refer to a time, place, moment in history, give a twist and add to the power of the illustration.

Kessels works and lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. After studying English language and literature and teaching for five years at a secondary school in Amsterdam, she decided follow her dreams and applies for the popular art school the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. Claudi Kessels won the Items & Industry Prize with her exam work. Since then she worked for many European magazines and companies and participated in several exhibitions (Water World • Amsterdam, Stranger • Madrid, Secret 7 • London)

Claudi Kessels is mother of three wonderful kids, loves the city Amsterdam, reading, indigo, the Dutch coast, running and soup.

Her client list includes:

• H&M
• MPG Today
• Flow magazine
• Sanoma
• University of Amsterdam
• Skins Cosmetics
• Rathenau Institute
• Morley (children’s apparel)
• ABN Amro magazine
• Alzheimer foundation (magazine)