PieterFannes
Brussels-based freelance illustrator working across books, performance and live drawing.
On Scene
Since 2016, I have focused on working within musical and theatrical productions. Over time, I’ve developed an approach that is not only visually attractive, but also rhythmically coherent and highly attuned to what happens on stage. Over the past ten years, I have taken part in eight productions, playing in venues big and small.
Echo’s van de BergenBRONKS · 2025–2027A monologue about a childhood in Kermanshah, drawn live on a glowing moon above the stage.
The Four ElementsJeugd en Muziek Brussel · 2019–2023Wordless stories about water, fire, air and earth, drawn live with a symphony orchestra.
L’archivaire des contes crépusculairesWith Tuur Florizoone · 2019Charcoal and accordion in homage to the Brussels playwright Michel de Ghelderode.
The Sleep of ReasonFlagey · 2018One monumental charcoal drawing, made, erased and remade in an hour, after Goya.
L’Histoire du SoldatSturm und Klang · 2016Live drawings for Stravinsky’s dark fairy tale, in angular lines and bold colours.
Graphic RecordingConferences · debates · eventsComplex talks and debates turned into one clear, memorable image, drawn on the spot.Nature
Plants and animals, drawn with precision and often a wink.
SoortenschatGottmer · 2022 · text Geert-Jan RoebersThe plants and animals of the Low Countries for children, each with its own personality.
Our Wild GardenPushkin Press · 2024 · text Daniel SetonTwo children turn their ordinary back garden into a wild one.
SoortenkwartetCommune of Schaerbeek · 2023A card game about the surprisingly rich biodiversity of Schaerbeek.
PalingbeekNature domain Palingbeek · Province of West Flanders · 2025Paintings for the Palingbeek nature reserve, near Ypres.Brussels
The city where I live and work is the background, and sometimes the foreground, of much of my work: posters, postcards, festivals. The Palace of Justice is a more recent fascination, fuelled by the many tours I guide through it.
Music
Over the past fifteen years, I’ve been drawing musicians live on stage. Many of the works in this collection are for sale. Get in touch for details and pricing.
About
I’m Pieter Fannes, an illustrator in Brussels. I work in two ways.
Live, in front of an audience: on stage, where my drawings are projected as the performance unfolds; at conferences and debates, as a graphic recorder; and at jazz concerts, which I’ve drawn for fifteen years. I play jazz piano myself.
At the drawing table: books such as Soortenschat and Our Wild Garden, as well as editorial illustration, educational material, games and information panels. Brussels, where I also work as a city guide, is a recurring subject and inspiration for my work.
BRONKS Jeugd en Muziek Brussel OPRL Flagey Visuality De Standaard Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen Gottmer Pushkin Press Bries Province of West Flanders Commune of Schaerbeek Korei