Agency Spotlight: IllustrationZone
Clockwise from top left ©: Adam Niklewicz, Miriam Martincic, Michael Tonn, Oleg Buyevsky, Mary Haasdyk, Darya Shnykina, Wai, Maria Cardelli, Michael Meister
A new boutique agency is born! The Directory of Illustration is proud to present an Agency Spotlight on IllustrationZone.
“Why boutique? Because we don’t want to be too big. Our small size allows us to pay a great deal of attention to our clients and artists, as we help facilitate their mutual collaboration for a smooth and successful outcome. Each artist we represent is unique. We promise originality, creativity professionalism, experience and great attention to every detail..and of course an energetic and passionate agent to help you find the right artist for your project. Our artists are in different parts of the world but they can deliver their work digitally anywhere and most importantly they are all experienced professionals who never missed a deadline and they are a delightful bunch.”
About IllustrationZone: IllustrationZone is a boutique illustration agency representing a small group of illustrators from around the world, handpicked for their unique talent, originality and international experience.
Whimsical characters and mysterious beasts. Romantic landscapes and fanciful creatures. Muted palettes and bold line work. Fantastic science fiction and fashionable moments. We love sharing the work of these nine very talented IllustrationZone artists:
Mary Haasdyk, Adam Niklewicz, Maria Cardelli, Miriam Martincic, Oleg Buyevsky, Darya Shnykina, Michael Meister, Wai, Michael Tonn
IllustrationZone artists are strikingly unique in individuality and also strongly cohesive, collectively. Feast your eyes on the colors, compositions and other-worldliness of what IllustrationZone artists have to offer.
© Mary Haasdyk
Mary Haasdyk is a Calgary-based illustrator working in editorial, publishing and public art. She brings a fresh perspective with her emotive and playful illustrations, and enjoys the challenge of finding unexpected visual solutions. Her work has been recognized by Spectrum Fantastic Arts, American Illustration, Society of Illustrators West and Applied Arts.
© Adam Niklewicz
Adam creates his work traditionally, painting in acrylics on board, which is refreshing at a time when there is so much digital illustration. He believes that less is more and both his graphic style and his approach to problem solving attest to it. Adam’s illustration possess ideas that cut through the superfluous and reach the essential. His art is conceptual and his editorial illustrations respond to contemporary global events. Adam’s work has been recognized by American Illustration, The Society of Publication Designers, The Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, Idea, Print. His clients include Newsweek, Time, BusinessWeek, Harvard Magazine, Playboy, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and many others.
© Maria Cardelli
Maria is an illustrator, artist and fashion designer from Rome. She lived in NYC for a few years and worked as a footwear and accessories designer, while also continuing to paint and take part to art exhibits around the world including the Biennale of Modern Art. She eventually transitioned into commercial illustration and moved back to Europe. Maria now lives in the Netherlands where she continues to design, paint and illustrate. She also recently created a collection of women’s footwear and fashion accessories under her own label. Maria’s clients include: Vogue, Cosmopolitan, The Times, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Time Out NY, Architectural Digest, Penguin Group, Marcel Schurman Design, Bio, Telecom, Wellfit magazine and many others. Her work has been published on 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide by Luerzer’s Archive, Illustration Now! published by Taschen, International Contemporary Masters vol. V and various Fashion Illustration books.
© Miriam Martincic
Miriam Martincic is an award-winning illustrator whose career has spanned multiple industries and disciplines. Her diverse and multi-disciplined background gives her illustration work a very unique voice. Her skills as a stone carver are reflected in the tridimensional, sculptural quality of her illustrations. Miriam was awarded a gold medal in March 2021 by the Society of Illustrators in New York for her image above (bottom right corner), titled “Having It All”, which illustrates the multiple and often competing expectations of women. Three of Miriam’s illustrations were also recently selected by an international panel judges for publication in the 3×3 International Illustration Annual No.18. Miriam currently teaches graphic design at Iowa State and works from her studio in Ames, Iowa under careful dachshund supervision.
© Oleg Buyevsky
Oleg is an illustrator and artist from Russia. Primarily engaged in magazine and editorial illustration work, he regularly works for Esquire Russia, RBC Russia, Red Bull, Jacobin Magazine, ChillHop Music and many others. He successfully combines in his works the tendencies of modern illustration with the aesthetics of classical Soviet illustration and expressive techniques of ancient Russian icons. Such a mix helps him to see the task from a new angle and gives his illustrations a reasonable amount of eccentricity and madness. He looks at the world carefully in order to notice beauty even in non-obvious places, and this is the main idea behind his work.
© Darya Shnykina
Darya is an artist and illustrator from Moscow, Russia. With her restrained and soothing color palette, she captures calm, introspective moments in her artwork. Using a sketchy, wavering line, she’s able to humanize and personify emotions. Although created using digital techniques, Darya’s artwork retains the charm of traditional material and textures. After entering the Moscow State University of Printing and studying Graphics and Illustration, Darya began her professional career. In 2017 she won the Book Illustration Competition run by the Folio Society and the House of Illustration (London, UK), in 2018 was shortlisted in the Communication Arts Annual (USA) and won the Merit Award in 3X3 Illustration Annual in 2019. Her work was selected by Creative Boom in 25 of the best illustration projects in 2020. Darya has been published in a number of books and publications, as well as exhibited in various galleries and fairs. She also had an opportunity to start her own illustration short course at Azbooka Morsa and is regularly invited to give workshops & lectures.
© Michael Meister
Michael studied graphic design in Bern in the early 80’s and initially worked as a freelance artist and Exposition Designer for Museums, Swiss advertising companies, newspapers, and magazines. His illustrated book, Swiss Story, won the 2020 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award. Michael’s work has taken him to Paris, Italy, and Germany, where he worked for companies such as Daimler-Chrysler, and eventually to New York, where he lived for a few years. He now lives with his family near Basel in Switzerland. Michael has created illustrations for clients all over Europe, Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
© Wai
Wai’s elegant illustrations have evolved from her formal studies in fashion, life drawing and design, developing into a style that is classic, yet different. Her work has been commissioned by brands such as 3M Scotch and Henniez, magazines such as InStyle and Vogue, newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal and The Age, and publishing houses such as Penguin and St Martins Press. Wai creates illustrations that tell a timeless story.
© Michael Tonn
With over a decade of professional illustration experience Michael’s work has been used for a variety of applications including editorial, comics, literature and advertisement. Primarily drawing inspiration from contemporary animation and comics, his work is also informed by the golden age of illustration including such greats as Arthur Rackham and Kay Nielsen. Michael lives in Burlington, Vermont on the sandy shores of the wonderful Lake Champlain. When not working he enjoys sailing, cooking, skateboarding and playing rock and roll with his friends.
About IllustrationZone: IllustrationZone is a boutique illustration agency representing a small group of illustrators from around the world, handpicked for their unique talent, originality and international experience.
