'Vis' (2023).
Irene Schiphorst is a Dutch comic artist and illustrator, who debuted in 2023 with the graphic novel 'Vis'. Created in collaboration with writer Willemijn Kranendonk, the book tells about the friendship between two young girls, dealing with serious subject matters as loneliness, child abuse and budding teenage love.
Early life
Irene Schiphorst was born in 1998 in Apeldoorn, a city in the Dutch Veluwe region. Although creative blood runs in the family - her mother is very good with handicrafts - she is so far the first to pursue a career in the arts. Between 2015 and 2019, she studied Comic Design at the ArtEZ University of the Arts in Zwolle, and during this period, she also spent one semester at the Ecole Européenne Supérieure de l'Image in Angoulême, France. She graduated cum laude in 2019, and her final project was nominated for the ArtEZ Academy Award. Among her major graphic influences are the Spanish artist Jordi Lafebre, largely because of his coloring, and Lucy Knisley for her down-to-earth way of making comics about her own life.
'Vis' (2023).
Professional life
Since her graduation, Irene Schiphorst has been working as a freelance illustrator and cartoonist from her hometown of Apeldoorn. She makes paintings, creates two-page comic stories and gives drawing workshops. Recurring themes in her work have been daily life, relationships, and especially the conflicts that can arise with being in love. Her artwork is clean with bright colors, while her page layouts are characterized by their original use of frames.
Vis
In 2023, Schiphorst debuted at the publishing house MENLU with the graphic novel 'Vis', a magical story about two girls and an old oak tree. Written by Willemijn Kranendonk, the book tells the story of a primary school girl called Vis ("Fish"), who is bullied at school and neglected by her parents. Whenever she feels lonely, she finds a ready ear with a talking old oak tree, her imaginary friend. When a new girl called Peer ("Pear") arrives at school, Vis hopes for a friendship, but it soon turns out that her new friend also has her fair share of problems. As the subject matter is largely inspired by writer Kranendonk's own experiences with domestic violence and bullying, the authors ended their story on a positive note by showing how one can break loneliness by asking for help.
During the Ostend Comic Festival in May 2025, Irene Schiphorst and Wil Kranendonk were awarded the Gouden Wullok for "Best Debut" for their comic 'Vis'.
Self-portrait with unwilling cat (2021).