Sixteen scientists, sixteen animated portraits

For the festive installation of sixteen new members of the Royal Netherlands
Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), I created sixteen profile animations
to introduce each new member to the audience.

Each animation offered a short glimpse into the person behind the research,
bringing together their scientific work and personal details. The
creative challenge was to give every portrait its own character while
creating a coherent series that reflected the occasion.

It was a pleasure to explore such a variety of disciplines and translate
these individual stories into animation. A wonderful commission from the
KNAW, celebrating scientific curiosity and the people who move
research forward.

The new members—seven women and nine men—are outstanding scientists
who also place great importance on their role in society. Elected by expert
panels from a wide range of nominations, they were officially installed on
28 September 2026.

The sixteen new members are Meike Bartels, Jan de Boer, Mark Dingemanse, Lude Franke, Arfan Ikram, Tom van der Meer, Piet Van Mieghem, Liesje Mommer, Esther Peeren, Erik Plug, Ronald van Rij, Meta Roestenberg, Liesbeth van Rossum, Jacquelien Scherpen, Petra Sijpesteijn and Michiel Vermeulen.