Javien Jaén

Javier Jaén isan artist, illustrator and designer based in Barcelona. He studied graphic design and fine arts in Barcelona, New York and Budapest. His practice spans illustration, book design, advertising, audiovisual projects, communication for the cultural sector and self-initiated artistic work.

A defining feature of his work is the way he transforms ideas, stories and complex concepts into memorable images through symbols, visual metaphors and humour. His clients include The New York Times, The New Yorker, Time, The Washington Post, National Geographic, UNESCO, Greenpeace, Penguin Random House, Netflix, Louis Vuitton, Microsoft, Zara and many others.

His work has received numerous prestigious international distinctions, including awards from the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, D&AD, Laus and The Society of Publication Designers, and has been exhibited in New York, London, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Rotterdam, Tallinn, Mexico City and San Salvador. Since 2015, he has been a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), and in 2020 Forbes included him among the 100 most creative people in Spain. He has taught at the European Institute of Design (IED), Elisava, BAU and IDEP, and regularly gives lectures and workshops at universities and art and design schools around the world.

*Javier Jaen’s participation is kindly supported by the Embassy of Spain in Bulgaria.