Helga Stentzel on finding personality: “I don’t see characters in every object I come across, the point is to stay curious and let go of expectations. Sometimes nothing happens, but sometimes an object reveals a gesture or a personality I haven’t noticed before...”

Only at Pictoplasma: In between conference talks you can join “AMA sessions” at this year’s sunny character camp ⛺︎ on the green – hosted by the likes of Ricky Haggett, Lizz Lunney, Will Anderson, Larissa Honsek and AJ Jefferies - or spontaneously sign up to throw your own!

Kaho Yoshida on honesty: “Depicting intimacy from a woman's perspective matters to me: growing up, women were oversexualised or treated as if our sexuality was taboo. I want to challenge that. I'm drawn to moments that feel real. Vulnerability and humour make intimacy genuine.”

Jack Sachs on how everything starts with a pen on paper: “Whatever the context, my work always starts in my sketchbook – it could even be a tiny scrap in the corner of a page that leads to a new idea. I treat it like a catalogue for characters.”

Happening TODAY, FREE + LIVE on PictoTV: Best of Pictoplasma – Remastered! We’re broadcasting "Saturday Morning Cartoons" today from noon to approximately 2:30 pm (CEST). Grab a bowl of comforting cornflakes, tell your friends, head over to tv.pictoplasma.com, hit the ✨LIVE ON AIR✨ button and enjoy

Saydan Celik, Head of Design at Jung von Matt, takes the stage to talk us through the client/agency perspective, the creative process, and how narrative can emerge from minimal means, especially in environments where brands tend to resist more explicit or figurative approaches.

Step into Dr. Maciek Łazowski’s VR Media Lab at #PictoBerlin2026 – and get a hands-on introduction to intuitive 3D sculpting using Shapelab, supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. 📍 Berlin, May 7–10 🎟️ conference.pictoplasma.com

Caroline Attia on why characters are best when personal: “I put a part of myself into every character I create. They are the heart of the stories I tell, which are inspired by my personal experiences, as well as my dreams, aspirations and the people around me.”

Murat Palta on mixing pop symbolism with Ottoman-era miniatures: “My work is not really about forcing pop cultural references and history together, but translating them into each other. I reinterpret pop-cultural elements through the mindset, symbolism, and narrative structures of the context.”

Melissa Mathieson on coming face to face with her creation: "The thing that surprised me about my work translated from 3D to a large installation is the scale of everything. I work on my computer so everything feels tiny. When scaled up, you suddenly notice every detail!"

Big shout-out to Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg for the ongoing support, tender loving character care, and making #PictoplasmaPossible 💡

Magnus Møller on navigating the cute - absurd spectrum: “Characters are relatable when they have a want, a flaw, an attitude you can read instantly. I love characters who are floppy, fun, a little bit dumb in the most endearing way. I love crazy designs, but the mood and expression must be clear.”

Karlotta Freier on routine: “I keep Sunday's free – and wake up giddy to experiment. I walk around all day without a map, only stoping to make a drawing every hour at the place I happen to be. My routine sets me up to start the week playful and connected to my intuition.”

Analog, baby – at #PictoBerlin‘s Zine Zone! Take a break from the conference hall to experiment with classic technologies like old-school copy machines, typewriters, overhead projectors, and a funky risograph machine (courtesy of @DRUCKEN3000 and @adobe_de).

Jun Ioneda on facing his fears: “Growing up I always felt uneasy when cartoon characters had lips. Because of that, all my characters now have lips. In this way, they all scare me a bit…”

Augustinas Paukštė, Partner and Creative Director of Lithuania based andstudio, turns strategy into expressive visual worlds – building identities that are not only seen, but also tested, challenged, and measured in real contexts.

Marylou Faure on the female form: "The body is my main source of inspiration – more specifically, body language. My female characters embody confidence, carefreeness and desire – qualities I find inspiring, and which I hope resonate, offering a sense of lightness and empowerment."

Frode Bolhuis on knowing when to stop: "I intuitively know a sculpture is finished when it conveys a certain clarity, even if the story it carries is difficult to put into words. Clarity lives in its form, without needing to be smooth or perfect. When it happens, it’s unmistakably clear to me."

Gemma Correll on placing herself upfront and center of her work: “Since childhood, I have drawn characters who represent parts of me I wasn’t brave enough to convey in real life ... abandoning that character would feel like abandoning myself!”

Christoph Niemann on taking creative risks: “Drawing can be intimidating – so I tend to gravitate towards what feels safe. The Sunday Sketches are my way of pushing against that. They force me to take risks and keep evolving, especially at a time when everything changes so quickly.”

Conor Kehelly on storytelling in animation: “Animation is forgiving if you struggle to speak in your own voice. You can hide behind a character that talks like you, sounds like you, acts like you, but looks nothing like you. For all intents and purposes, that character isn’t you...”

Amedeo Capelli at #PictoBerlin2026: “Building an automaton has no fixed process. Sometimes I start with a sketch, sometimes I start with the mechanism to understand how it behaves.” Besides his talk, Amedeo hosts a hands-on workshop – allowing all to craft their own sculptures!

Can Characters emerge as an active narrative force – beyond illustration – and generate meaning that shapes how stories are constructed and experienced? Heike Faller and Valerio Vidali join this year’s symposium to discuss their collaborative authorship between word and image.

Character ‘R Us? Philippe Stalla, Partner and Head of Animation at Parasol Island, joins this May's symposium to discuss how mascots in current add campaigns promise clarity and recognition, but also risk frightening off today’s clients by fixing their brand to a specific figure.

From concentrated portfolio review sessions to private meet-ups, PictoBerlin expands its Industry Forum to set the stage for cross-disciplinary pollination between attending talent, creatives and the leading studios, agencies and commissioners shaping tomorrow’s visual culture!

The official PictoBerlin 2026 animation selection has been announced – and it's retina stimulus overdose: 85+ international shorts on 3 big screens in 6 lovingly curated programs. BRING IT ON! 👁️👁️ pictoplasma.com/fest

Where’s Johannes Sich? The illustrator has come to fame as author of the game series ‘MicroMacro: Crime City’, challenging players to investigate the whereabouts of minimal characters across large-scale, complex ‘busy picture’ city maps. Find Johannes at this May’s #PictoBerlin Conference!

Announcing the 2026 official PictoAnimation Fest Selection: From a mind-boggling 2.600+ entries we somehow managed to narrow it down to 85 hand-picked shorts, awaiting you in Berlin, May 7 - 10, on 3 big screens in 6 curated programmes - full of contemporary character splendor and storytelling.

Japanese director and animator Kaho Yoshida mixes her passion for stop motion and mixed media with juicy aesthetics and a sharp sense of humour. Catch up with Kaho at this May’s #PictoBerlin Conference: a celebration of contemporary character-creation.

Magnus Møller, co-founder of Tumblehead Animation Studio in Viborg, is known for his love for quirky, cartoony characters in an existential crisis, and #Houdini as his tool of choice. Meet Magnus (for a talk and media lab presentation) at this May’s #PictoBerlin Conference

Somewhere over the Doomscroll … … where we can all coexist in harmony and create happy #StickyCharacters IRL Kudos to strudelbrain 👋 for this wholesome bumper sticker – and reminder to be kind to yourself + keep a lid on your screen time!

As one of the masterminds behind the viral Italian Brainrot meme, artist Fabian Mosele dissects the pitfalls of generative media and how it gave birth to a new breed of characters – with no ownership and infused in slop. Join the conversation at this May’s #PictoBerlin Conference

Applications are NOW OPEN to sell at the 2026 Pictoplasma Character Market! On Sunday May 10 from 1–7pm, the doors of Pictoplasma Berlin swing open to all for a Public Open House – featuring animation screenings, creative activities, and the bustling character art market.

Dutch sculptor Frode Bolhuis creates daily figures – crafted intuitively from polymer clay and mixed materials. The resulting miniature-personalities playfully merge ancient stories with surreal imagination. Join Frode (for a talk and a workshop) at this May’s #PictoBerlin

Pictoplasma pass-holders, here's your chance to take the stage! We offer you a big screen, a mic and a welcoming crowd of supportive peers, prospective collaborators, and curious industry pros ready to celebrate your stories! Spots are limited, applications open next week!

Artist, author, animator and illustration legend Christoph Niemann’s work has been celebrated in numerous museum retrospectives and featured on the covers of The New Yorker or The New York Times Magazine. Join Christoph at this May’s #PictoBerlin Conference ⬤⬤ link in bio

Irish Animator, illustrator & music producer Conor Kehelly explores the tension between the wholesome and the melancholic by creating playful, dark, textural scattershot portraits of a society in crisis. Catch up with Conor (and many more) at this May’s #PictoBerlin Conference

New call for entries inviting international artists to express themselves in a snappy, classic format: the bumper sticker! Use text (the message) and a relatable character (the messenger), to capture and communicate something about you – what you want (or don’t want)! 🫟 pictoplasma.com/call

French animation filmmaker, writer, and illustrator Caroline Attia combines graphic sensibility and visual poetry with an attention to atmosphere and emotion. Catch up with Caroline at the #PictoBerlin Conference — celebrating the art and impact of character-driven creativity.

In a new call4entries, Pictoplasma x StickerApp invite you to express yourself in a snappy, classic format: the humble bumper sticker! First #StickyCharacters are tumbling in, this fine example following the rules (efficient text and a relatable character) by Renée Stuff!

New Call for #StickyCharacters Pictoplasma x StickerApp invite you to make a simple and sticky statement in a snappy, classic format: the humble bumper sticker! Best entries will take center stage at this year’s official exhibition of the 22nd Pictoplasma Berlin Festival.

Brazilian graphic artist Jun Ioneda’s work blends science fiction, fantasy, queerness, and Japanese influences to create captivating visuals combined with playful, at times melancholic undertones. Join Jun (+ many more) at next May’s #PictoBerlin Conference! ⬤⬤ link in bio

Mexican visual artist Valfré creates surreal, narrative worlds reflecting on identity, femininity, and the messy emotions of modern life. Catch Valfré at next May’s #PictoBerlin – a lively four-day celebration of illustrative art, animation, games and visual storytelling... ⬤⬤ link in bio

Istanbul-based artist Murat Palta mixes Ottoman-era miniatures with contemporary pop culture — to explore today’s relevance of mythology, philosophy, and historical events. Meet Murat (and many more) at next May’s #PictoBerlin Conference! ⬤⬤ link in bio

Household surrealism! Multidisciplinary artist Helga Stentzel sculpts intricate narratives from everyday elements to unveil the messages hidden within the seemingly mundane tapestry of life. Hang with Helga (and many more) at next May’s #PictoBerlin Conference ⬤⬤ link in bio

Driven by some of the bigger questions of life, animation director Zohar Dvir blends two and three-dimensional elements with a healthy dose of surrealism. Her latest short Butterfly Kiss is now officially Oscar-qualified! Applaud Zohar at next May’s #PictoBerlin Conference 👏

Transforming wood and simple materials into whimsical moving worlds, Italian artist Amedeo Capelli bridges the realms of mechanics and craftsmanship to create miniature sculptures — animated solely by intricate, non-electronic mechanisms. Join Amedeo at next May’s #PictoBerlin Conference!

Form Play’s work draws on hand-crafted simplicity, paired with a fondness for humour and playful storytelling. Catch up with Catharine and Mark (and plenty of others) at next May’s #PictoBerlin Conference — a lively four-day celebration of the art and impact of character-driven creativity.

French artist and illustrator Marylou Faure is famed for her bold use of colour, striking graphic compositions and empowering representations of the female body. Meet Marylou at next May’s #PictoBerlin Conference: a four day IRL celebration of adventurous character design. ⬤⬤ link in bio

German visual Artist and Illustrator Stephan Dybus creates 3D miniature escapist worlds as a coping mechanism with childhood trauma and existential dread. Exchange LOLs with Stephan at next May’s #PictoBerlin Conference: four happy days, celebrating the art of character design! 🙃🙃 link in bio