byHands Illustration Agency

What byHands Illustration Agency does

byHands is a privately held illustration agency founded in 2010 and headquartered in Oslo, Norway. The agency represents 16 Norwegian illustrators — including Anette Moi, Bendik Kaltenborn, Børge Bredenbekk, Darling Clementine, Esra Røise, Frode Skaren, Hanne Berkaak, Jon Arne Berg, Julie Wilkinson/Makerie Studio, Kristian Hammerstad, Magnus Voll Mathiassen, Peter-John de Villiers, Robin Snasen Rengård, Sandra Blikås, Zarina Saidova, and Åge Peterson — and matches them with clients needing commercial illustration. The agency operates with a deliberately small team of three illustration agents (founders and partners Ida Lund Bjørnsen and Anne-Marie Nikolaisen, plus Kjersti Brinch Lund), who manage the full project lifecycle from initial brief to final delivery.

The agency's service portfolio spans seven categories: advertising illustrations, identity illustrations, editorial illustrations, murals and decorations, packaging and products, culture (museums, theaters, arts organizations), and icons and symbols. Clients span editorial and publishing (The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, Wired, Vanity Fair, Aftenposten, Dagens Næringsliv), fashion and luxury (Gucci, Dior, Nike, Apple, Burberry, Kate Spade, Bloomingdale's, Bobbi Brown), food and beverage (Tine), financial services (DNB, Gjensidige), government (Oslo Kommune), and nonprofit (Redd Barna) sectors. The agency is self-described as Norway's leading illustration agency, and represented artists have won The One Show, Gullblyanten, Visuelt, and the Ministry of Culture's Tegneserieprisen.

byHands generates revenue through commission-based representation of illustrators on a project-by-project basis. Pricing is fully custom, with rates depending on context, target audience, style preference, illustration count, usage scope, usage duration, and project timeline. Distribution is sales-led and direct, with clients engaging the agency for project briefs; the agency also operates a print shop (shop.byhands.no) for direct sales of illustrated products. Beyond its represented roster, byHands draws on an extended network of competence in graphic design, motion graphics, copywriting, web design, animation, and storyboard. The agency invests in brand-building through the byOne exhibition series, the Small Talks community event programme, and active presence on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and a newsletter.

Name

byHands Illustration Agency

Legal name

byHands

Website

https://byhands.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

byHands is a privately held Oslo-based illustration agency founded in 2010, representing 16 Norwegian illustrators and matching them with enterprise clients across editorial, fashion, luxury, financial, and government sectors. The three-agent firm manages full project lifecycles on a commission basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Illustration Agency Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Casting & Talent Placement (Sessions, Bands, Touring Musicians) (MPAIAGAM)

Keywords

• Illustration agency services
• Commercial illustration
• Editorial illustration
• Artist representation
• Brand illustration

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Illustration Agency Representation: byHands represents Norwegian illustrators and matches them with clients needing illustration services. The agency manages the full process from client brief to final delivery, earning commission from these representation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

byHands is an illustration agency that represents 16 Norwegian illustrators and matches them with clients needing custom illustration work. The agency manages the full project lifecycle from initial brief to final delivery, offering services across advertising, editorial, packaging, identity, cultural, mural, and icon/symbol illustration categories. Clients include major international brands, magazines, publishers, and cultural institutions.

Product overview

byHands Illustration Agency is a single-agency representation firm representing Norwegian illustrators. The agency provides illustration services across seven categories: Murals and Decorations, Packaging/Products, Identity Illustrations, Advertising Illustrations, Culture, Editorial Illustrations, and Icons and Symbols. The agency also runs a byOne exhibition series showcasing individual illustrators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• byOne: Exhibition concept where one illustrator at a time from byHands takes over the studio space at Rathkes gate 4 to create an exhibition on their own terms.

Products and services

• Illustration Services Custom illustration services from byHands across multiple categories including advertising, visual identities, technical illustrations, icons, editorial illustrations, murals, and packaging. Aimed at brands, agencies, publishers, and cultural organizations needing commercial illustration.
• Murals and Decorations Large-scale mural installations and decorative artwork for public and commercial spaces, delivered by byHands represented illustrators.
• Packaging / Products Illustration services for product packaging and consumer goods labeling, for brands needing distinctive artwork on physical products.
• Identity Illustrations Custom illustration work for brand identity systems and visual branding projects, supporting brands in establishing or refreshing their visual identity.
• Advertising Illustrations Commercial illustration services for advertising campaigns and marketing materials, produced for brands and agencies.
• Culture Illustration services for cultural institutions, museums, theaters, and art organizations, supporting cultural programming and institutional communications.
• Editorial Illustrations Illustration services for newspapers, magazines, books, and editorial publications, providing commissioned artwork for editorial content.
• Icons and Symbols Icon design and symbol illustration services for digital and print applications, for clients needing bespoke iconography and symbols.

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Norway DesignscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Collaboration partner for the byOne exhibition featuring Julie Wilkinson. Norway Designs is a Norwegian design retailer and showroom that co-presented the exhibition at Rathkes gate 4.
• Stefan PapircoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Collaboration partner for the byOne exhibition featuring Julie Wilkinson. Co-presented the exhibition showcasing paper art and sculpture work.
• FellesverkstedetminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Collaborated with Julie Wilkinson on the byOne exhibition, providing expertise in making and craftsmanship for sculptural forms in her paper art exhibition.
• GrafillminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 March 2025Grafill is the Norwegian design and illustration organization. They supported the 2025 Small Talks events hosted by byHands.
• TuyocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2023Gjøvik-based design duo specializing in sound absorbing high quality wool panels. Collaborated with Robin Snasen Rengård on sound absorbing wall art for Parkteatret, combining illustration with acoustic panels.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IllustrationX: International illustration agency curating commercial illustrators for editorial, publishing, and advertising clients globally. Closely comparable to byHands in business model — illustrator representation with commission-based fees and a curated online portfolio.
• Handsome Frank: London-based illustration agency representing a roster of international illustrators for editorial, advertising, and publishing clients. Directly comparable to byHands as a boutique talent-representation firm matching artists with brand and editorial briefs.
• Airside: UK illustration and design collective/agency producing commercial illustration, animation, and design work. Comparable to byHands in creative agency model serving editorial and brand clients with illustration at the core.
• Dutch Uncle: UK-based illustration agency representing a select roster of artists for commercial briefs. Closely comparable to byHands in boutique positioning and editorial/advertising client base.
• Debut Art: London-based illustration and animation agency representing artists for editorial, publishing, and brand commissions. Comparable to byHands in curatorial approach and client mix spanning editorial and advertising.
• The Artworks: US-based illustration agency representing a roster of commercial illustrators to advertising and editorial clients. Comparable to byHands in talent-representation business model and premium client targeting.
• Jelly London: London creative agency representing illustrators and animators for commercial work across editorial, advertising, and branding. Comparable as a boutique illustration-representation agency with a similar curatorial model to byHands.
• Bernstein & Andriulli: Creative representation agency representing illustrators, photographers, and designers to advertising and editorial clients. Comparable to byHands as a curated talent-representation firm serving brand and publishing clients.

Broad incumbents

• Mother Design: Global design agency working across branding, identity, and creative campaigns for major brands. Comparable as a creative-services firm competing for the same brand identity and advertising illustration budgets that byHands serves, though at a much larger scale.

Regional players

• Grafill: Norwegian organization for designers and illustrators, supporting the Norwegian illustration community through events and professional development. Comparable to byHands as part of the same Norwegian illustration ecosystem and a direct partner on byHands' Small Talks events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/byHands_Norway
• Facebookfacebook.com/164107573617367
• Instagraminstagram.com/byhands_illustration_agency
• Pinterestpinterest.com/byhands_norway
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/byhands-illustration-agency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about byHands Illustration Agency