Jan van Haasteren
Profile Jan van Haasteren
Jan van Haasteren was born on February 24, 1936, in Schiedam. Jan has two daughters and lives in Bergen, North-Holland.
In addition to drawing, Jan also enjoys playing tennis and is frequently found on the tennis court.
He is particularly known for his unique drawing style, full of humour and absurdity. As a result, he has many comics, advertising posters, and jigsaw puzzles to his name.
Childhood and Education
During his childhood, Jan discovered his love for drawing. He began by creating illustrations and comic strips, taking much of his inspiration from the cartoons and humorous drawings popular at the time.
His talent for drawing was quickly noticed by those around him and his teachers at school. After high school, Jan attended the Art Academy in Rotterdam, where he further developed his skills as an illustrator. He was influenced by various art styles and techniques, but his love for humorous drawings always remained a prominent feature.
Career
Jan started his career at an advertising agency and gradually became more in touch with comic artists and started drawing comics. After working for several employers, Jan decided to continue as a freelancer. Throughout his career, he collaborated with many people and illustrated comics for various comic magazines and advertising posters for commercial clients.
In the 1980s, Jan began collaborating with the Dutch puzzle company Jumbo. Initially, the puzzles were made from existing advertising posters. As demand for the puzzles grew, Jan started designing puzzle images with his distinctive drawing style. He often created chaotic and humorous scenes that challenged puzzlers. His puzzles quickly became popular and reached a large audience not only in the Netherlands but also internationally. In 2006, Jan was honoured by Het Stripschap with the 'Bulletje en Boonestaak Schaal', and in 2013, he was appointed Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
''Just let me draw.''
Jan van Haasteren
Studio Jan van Haasteren
In 2013, Jumbo established the Studio Jan van Haasteren to meet the high demand for Jan van Haasteren-puzzles. Besides Jan, there are now four other illustrators active for the Studio.
In 2023, Jumbo launched the puzzle line ‘Oldtimers’ as a tribute to Jan’s work. In this line, his old works are released in their original form as 1000-piece puzzles.
Signature
Over the years, Jan has developed his own distinctive style, filled with countless tiny details, humorous scenes, and unmistakable personal touch in his artwork. This has turned solving his puzzles into a game in itself. Discovering these hidden gems adds an additional layer of enjoyment and challenge to the puzzle-solving experience.
While the shark fin remains his most iconic signature, other recurring elements such as the little hands, Santa Claus, false teeth, the octopus, and the 'I love Jane' post-it note have become key features of his puzzles. There are so many elements to discover, and of course, you'll always find Jan himself hiding somewhere within the puzzle.
