About — Gijs van den Berg
Gijs van den Berg makes work that questions how we see everyday reality. He was part of KesselsKramer from 2009 to 2026, becoming partner in 2018 and taking over creative leadership from Erik Kessels. There he combined hands-on craft with conceptual thinking, whether developing campaigns, building brands, or solving creative emergencies for clients across Amsterdam, London, and Los Angeles. He believes in getting his hands dirty. Photographing Amsterdam's last traditional coffeehouses, he developed the prints in coffee from each location. When clients need brand consistency, he builds digital tools. When campaigns need fresh thinking, he works across disciplines, writing, designing, shooting, directing and coding until it works. His works have landed in unexpected places: a Guinness World Record for organ donation, an exhibition at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, some Effie awards, a Sony World Photography Award nomination, the permanent collection of Stedelijk Museum Breda, and Photoville in Brooklyn.
Selected Exhibitions
2010
MuseumN8
Group exhibition
De Balie, Amsterdam
2012
Slideluck Potshow
Group exhibition
Oude Kerk, Amsterdam
2015
Gewoon Koffie
Solo exhibition
Volkshotel, Amsterdam
2015
Malmo Fotobienal
Photofestival
Malmö, Sweden
2015
Schijt aan de Grens
Group exhibition
Vierlingsbeek, The Netherlands
2016
Gewoon Koffie
Solo exhibition
Quartier Putain, Amsterdam
2016
Modern Love
Group exhibition
KK Outlet, London
2016
Cutting Edges
Group exhibition
Kaunas, lituania
2016
Eye See Sound
Group exhibition
Studio de Keuken, Amsterdam
Selected Exhibitions (cont.)
2017
Cutting Edges
FORMAT17: Habitat
Quad Museum – Derby, UK
2017
Sony World Photo Awards
Nomination Still Life
Somerset House – London, UK
2017
Spitting Image
Festival - Schijt aan de Grens
Geijsteren, the Netherlands
2018
Souvenirs from the Sun
Solo Exhibition
The Print Space – London, UK
2019
New Amsterdam Coffeehouse
Photo festival
Photoville, New York, USA
2019
Spitting Image
Group exhibition
Vans Boutique, London
Selected Publications
2014
Straattaal
Editorial
Parool PS magazine
2015
Gewoon Koffie
Editorial
Het Parool
2016
Pizza Economy
Editorial
Verzameling, Het Parool
2017
Stadstrappertjes
Editorial
Parool PS magazine
2017
Dit is Nederland
Editorial
Vrij Nederland
2017
Hashtag Holiday
Article
Vrij Nederland
2020
25 jaar KesselsKramer
Interview
Het Parool
2023
Interview
Posterzine
2023
Interview
Slanted Magazine
2024
Editorial
EW Magazine
2026
Interview
Het Parool
Talks
2010
Teach Me / KK Holiday in Venice
Venice (IT)
2011
Citymarketing CCCB
Barcelona (ES)
2011
AKV St.Joost
Breda
2015
ABN Amro & Culture
Amsterdam
2017
Masterclass
for Voordekunst
2017
BNO x Dutch Design week
Eindhoven
2019
DEPT
Rotterdam
2019
Centraal Museum
Utrecht
2021
OFFF
Sevilla, Spain
2021
Designers Inc.
Podcast
2022
Serifelaris
Getxo, Spain
2023
OFFF
Barcelona, Spain
2024
Creative Express
Lisbon, Portugal
2024
De Plank
Podcast
2024
ADC*E OneClub Festival
Barcelona, Spain
2025
Creative Flow
Treibhaus
Podcast