ELISE VANDEPLANCKE
ORIGINAL
ELISE VANDEPLANCKE
ORIGINAL
Elise Vandeplancke is a Belgian illustrator crafting a vibrant, poetic world of people, plants, and animals
Born in 1992, Elise creates illustrations that blend gentle observation with expressive storytelling. Her work is inhabited by inspiring characters and organic forms, each helping her distill a message, mood, or identity into a single compelling image. She illustrates for newspapers, magazines, advertising, posters, packaging, and more, bringing her distinctive warmth and clarity to every project. Beyond her illustration practice, Elise is also the co-organizer of Potloodvenster, a lively festival celebrating the joy and diversity of contemporary illustration. Her visual universe is playful yet refined—an inviting space where narrative, nature, and human connection seamlessly intertwine.
The Story behind 'Pure Joy'
For Elise, inspiration always begins with living beings: people, animals, flowers, and plants. She continuously searches for new forms and explores how they can express emotion or quietly tell a story. Among those natural elements, the horse has grown into a recurring symbol in her work: a figure of pure joy, movement, and unfiltered happiness. The composition of Pure Joy is a carefully crafted kind of chaos. Playful proportions and flowing motion intertwine, creating a harmony that feels spontaneous yet deeply intentional. Elise describes it as an echo of yugen, a beauty so subtle and profound that it slips beyond the reach of language. Just like the kombucha itself, the illustration is a celebration of nature, brightness, and those small, uplifting moments that don’t need explanation. You simply feel them.
