BIO

Janine Seelen (born 1965) is a freelance painter. After earning her degree in Visual Communication from the HBK Braunschweig (University of Art Braunschweig), she spent many years working internationally as a creative and art director in New York, San Francisco, and Hamburg. Since 2019, she has dedicated herself exclusively to her independent artistic practice. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions across Germany, Austria, and the United States, and has received numerous awards. She lives and works in Hamburg.

 

CV

Since 2019, painter with exhibitions in Germany, Austria, USA
2002, Founder, Creative Director, Creative Minds, Hamburg
2001, Creative Consultant Gruner & Jahr, Hamburg, Time Inc., NYC
2000, Art Director, Jahreszeiten Verlag, Hamburg
1995, Founder, Partner, Creative Director, 360°, NYC
1994, Freelance Designer, Esprit, San Francisco, Sisman Design, Meredith Corporation, NYC
1993, Freelance Designer, Kirschenbaum, Bond and Partners, NYC
1993, Master Visual Communications, HBK Braunschweig

 

EXHIBITIONS AND FAIRS

2026
Schön!, KBH Marne, Solo Show, Group Show
Elbclusiv x Werkhaus Hamburg, Group Show
altonale Kunstherbst, Hamburg, Group Show
Das Unvorhersehbare, KBH Marne, Solo Show
altonale KISS, 2025, Hamburg, Duo Exhibition with Installationskünstlerin Marie Seelen
b-05, Kultoursommer Rheinland-Pfalz, My Daily Dose, Duo Exhibition with Installationskünstlerin Marie Seelen
Kunsthaus Hamburg, Systemfehler Mensch?, Jahresausstellung BBK Hamburg, Group Show

2025
altonale Kunstherbst 2025, Hamburg
OH Galerie, Karlsruhe, Group Show
Art MUC, presented by ExtractArt, Berlin, Group Show
Discovery Art Fair, Köln, Solo Show;
viele farben, 2025, OH Galerie, Karlsruhe, Group Show;

2024
altonale Kunstherbst 2024, Hotel Pacific, Hamburg, Group Show;
Supper Club GalerY, Jeanette Walther, Sprockhövel, Group Show ;
Anonymous Drawings Berlin, Kunstraum Kreuzberg, Berlin, Group Show;
Zeitlos, der salon, Eiskeller Hamburg, Solo Show:;
New Works, Studio Show, Hamburg;
Transformation, New Bedford Art Museum, USA, Group Show

2023
MoNo, ExtractArt, Berlin, Group Show;
Position. Exhibition and Forum, BBK Hamburg, Group Show;
Le Debut, White Wall Collectors Club, Salzburg, Group Show;
Sehtest, OH Galerie, Karlsruhe, Group Show;
#006 Raum, Taylor Wessing x Galerie Holthoff, Hamburg, Group Show;

2022
Emergent realities and the fabrication of now, San Francisco, Cachronicle Volume 2, Online Group Show;
Anonymous Drawings Hamburg, Hyper Cultural Passengers (HYCP) Veddel Space, Group Show;
Discovery Art Fair Frankfurt, Solo Show;
Art Matters 6, Galerie Biesenbach, Online Group Show;

2021
The Safe House, Studio Janine Seelen, Solo Show

 

Jury and Kuratorin

2026
hochscheitern, Jury member BBK Hamburg groupshow 2026 im Kunsthaus Hamburg, Jury: Sarah Bender-Kronberg, Marion Meinberg, Max Messemer, Maryam Naderi, Avid Saeed, Janine Seelen

 

 

COLLABORATIONS

2025
THE.BETTERHEIM, Frederike Bettermann, Kittlitz, Solo Show

2024
Supper Club Galery, Jeanette Walther, Sprockhövel, Gruppenausstellung

2023
AREA Showroom Linz, Austria

since 2022, Segelflieger music and paintings with composer Roland Mattner

2022
Film co-production RUHE/CALM in collaboration with director Mark Seelen

2021
Graphic concept and design of the book #ICPConcerned: Global Images for Global Crisis at The International Center of Photography (ICP), New York,
C6 – Interpretation of the poem TOO Much for JoJo @isadisasta for a book project, Leipzig

 

PUBLICATIONS

2026
Das Unvorhersehbare, Wolf Eismann
Was zwischen den Bildern liegt, Sabine Konrad für 99 faces, https://99-faces.de/profile/seelen-plus/

2025
Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary, Ana Bambić Kostov, https://discoveryartfair.com/de/janine-seelen-koeln-2025/

2024
Transformation, New Bedford Art Museum, USA, Exhibition Catalogue;
#30 – OUR HOUSE – Der SALON Podcast, Antje Wewer

2023
Taylor Wessing #006 Raum, Journey between Internal and External Spaces,Belinda Grace Gardner, Exhibition Catalogue

2022
Transformierte Vielschichtigkeit, Birgit Franke, Architura Magazine;
The Energy of the ordinary as created by Janine Seelen, Ana Bambić Kostov, www.discoveryartfair.com/janine-seelen/;
In Between, Linda Hell, Art Market Magazine;
Talk to me,  Jeanette Kunsmann, A&W Magazin;
Painting the Ordinary Surrounded by Space, brochure

2022, 2020
Neobrutalism, article in ELLE DECOR ITALIA/CHINA/JAPAN, ELLE DECORATION UK

 

ART AWARDS

2026, KIS – Kunst im Schaufenster, Platz 3 zusammen mit Marie Seelen, My daily Dose und Not Feeling Like Myself Today

2025, Art Matters 14, Galerie Biesenbach Berlin, Honourable Mention, My Daily Dose

2023, Art Matters 7, Galerie Biesenbach Berlin, Honourable Mention, River House

2022, The Gold List, Art Market Magazine, Zones

2022, Art Matters 6, Galerie Biesenbach Berlin, Honourable Mention, Zones

2021, LICC, London: Final Selection, The Safe House, fine art series

 

INTERDISCIPLINARY AWARDS

2020, LICC, London: Official Selection, Interior Design, Neobrutalism in collaboration with Mark Seelen

2019, Indigo Design Award: Silver, Branding, Get Excycled;
Indigo Design Award: Gold, Integrated Design, Dr. Branding

 

GRAPHIC AWARDS

2019
IF Design Award: Winner, Book Design, The Story of a Brand;
German Design Award, Rat für Formgebung: Winner, Book Design, The Story of a Brand;
DDC, Gute Gestaltung: Bronze, Book Design, The Story of a Brand;
Indigo Design Award: Gold, Book Design, The Story of a Brand

1999
SPD: Merit Award, Mode Magazine, Single Page;
American Corporate Identity: Award of Excellence, Mode Magazine, Logo Design

1998
Graphic Design USA: Excellence in Communication and Graphic Design, Le Journal de Chanel

1997
Summit Creative Awards: Bronze, Mode Magazine, Launch;
Summit Creative Awards: Silver, Zeitgeist, The Essence of the Moment;
Summit Creative Awards: Silver, Chanel, Le Journal de Chanel;
Summit Creative Awards: Gold, DKNY, Don’t Loose Control

1996
AIGA: Excellence in Environmental Design, L’Oréal, Cybershine

 

BIO

Janine Seelen is a painter with a career in the art and design world. After completing her graphic design studies in Germany, she moved to the USA and worked in New York and San Francisco for renowned companies, agencies, and publishers. In 1995, she founded her first graphic design studio in New York with a partner. In 2000, she returned to her hometown of Hamburg and continued her interdisciplinary graphic design work there. She provided practical training to many junior designers after their studies and placed them with renowned publishers and agencies. Since 2019, Seelen has worked exclusively as a freelance artist with exhibitions in Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, Salzburg, and the USA. Janine Seelen lives and works in Hamburg.

 

HISTORY

Since 2018 paintings and poetry
2002, founder and creative director of interdisciplinary graphic artist studio Creative Minds, Hamburg
2001, freelance creative consultant for publishing house Gruner & Jahr, Hamburg
2001, freelance creative consultant for publishing house Time Inc., NYC
2000, art director for publishing house Jahreszeiten Verlag, Hamburg
1995, founder, partner and creative director, interdisciplinary graphic artist studio, 360°, NYC
1994, freelance art director, Esprit, San Francisco
1994, freelance senior designer Sisman Design and Meredith Corporation, NYC
1993, freelance graphic artist Kirshenbaum, Bond and Partners, NYC
1993, master in graphic art and communication HBK Braunschweig, Germany