Hansje van Halem

"Van Halem" redirects here. Not to be confused with Van Halen.
Hansje van Halem
Born1978 (age 45–46)
Enschede, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
Occupation(s)graphic designer, type designer
Years active2003-present
Interview with Hansje van Halem.

Hansje van Halem (born 1978) is a Dutch graphic designer and type designer. Her work is typified by geometric, repetitive, sometimes almost psychedelic patterns. She works at the intersection of text, illustration, pattern, colour, texture, distortions, interruptions, variations, symmetry, systematic approach and irregularities.[1] Van Halem combines the more open rules of patterns with the tighter ruleset of typography and explores the boundaries of type design. She uses the viewer’s distance to the work to move at the edge of legibility and non-legibility. In her understanding background and type should become one layer. Important to her are the process itself, “playing” around and working with trial and error. Her commissions rather revolve around the creation of identities, whole covers and patterns than individual fonts.[2]

Hansje van Halem studied graphic and typographic design at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague from 1998 to 2000. In 2003 she subsequently graduated in Graphic Design from the Rietveld Academy. Since 2003 she has her own studio in Amsterdam. She also gives lectures, workshops, teaches and exhibits since 2003.[3]

Van Halem's designs have been exhibited in many museums, mainly in the Netherlands and the United States.[4] In 2017, a solo exhibition of her work took place at the Bijzondere Collecties van de Universiteit van Amsterdam.[5] Works by Hansje van Halem are included in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

Since 2017, she has been the head designer of the Lowlands festival, for which she works with programmers and animators.[6] In 2018, she received a Dutch Design Award for her Lowlands designs.[7]

  1. ^ "Eyemagazine Issue 98". Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  2. ^ "Typographics 2017: Trial and Error with Hansje Van Halem". Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  3. ^ "ABOUT - www.hansje.net". www.hansje.net. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  4. ^ "ABOUT - www.hansje.net". www.hansje.net. Retrieved Feb 4, 2020.
  5. ^ Junte, Jeroen (Jul 5, 2017). "Lowlandsontwerper Hansje van Halem: 'fuck leesbaarheid, ik wil gewoon iets moois maken'". de Volkskrant. Retrieved Feb 4, 2020.
  6. ^ Daniel, Diane. "How This Dutch Graphic Designer Became a Civic-Architecture Star". Architectural Digest. Retrieved Feb 4, 2020.
  7. ^ "Verandering belangrijkste drijfveer voor winnaars Dutch Design Awards 2018 | Dutch Design Awards". Dec 9, 2018. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved Feb 4, 2020.