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# The Emotive, Brilliantly Nostalgic Film Posters of Akiko Stehrenberger
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/the-emotive-brilliantly-nostalgic-film-posters-of-akiko-stehrenberger/
- Published: 2020-03-26T18:00:23.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:07:09.000Z
- Description: What sets Stehrenberger’s posters apart is her commitment to integrating illustration, and her work is most compelling when it’s seemingly at its simplest.
- Author: Ayoola Solarin
- Tags: Books, Hat & Beard Press, Posters, Review, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 07:41 (2019, 2020, part 2)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2020/03/akikomatic-bookcover.jpg)

Akikomatic: The Work of Akiko Stehrenberger, edited by J.C. Gabel and Akiko Stehrenberger (Hat & Beard Press, 2020) (all images courtesy Hat & Beard Press, 2020)

With a career spanning over 15 years, you’ve likely seen the work of artist and art director [Akiko Stehrenberger](http://akikomatic.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com), even if you may not have heard of her. In the last year, her film posters for [*Portrait of a Lady on Fire*](https://hyperallergic.com/portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire-a-queer-homage-to-the-labor-of-women-artists/), [*The Last Black Man in San Francisco*](https://hyperallergic.com/the-last-black-man-in-san-francisco-review/) and *Honey Bo*y, have gained well-deserved recognition online. Back in 2009, her poster for Michael Haneke’s thriller *Funny Games* (2007), depicting a visceral close up portrait of Naomi Watts, was named the best film poster of the decade by MUBI.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2020/03/akikomatic_funnygames.jpg)

Akiko Stehrenberger’s poster for Funny Games (2007), dir. Michael Haneke

In her new book [*Akikomatic: The Work of Akiko Stehrenberger*](https://bookshop.org/a/539/9781732734579?ref=hyperallergic.com)*,* co-edited by J.C. Gabel, which collects nearly 100 of her posters to date, Stehrenberger commented on usually being brought on to a project when “a studio wants a less conventional poster and more often than not, a secondary poster where they can take a bit more of a risk.” What sets Stehrenberger’s posters apart is her commitment to integrating illustration. She often uses a mix of traditional and digital painting to gain the desired final effect, evoking emotion in a way that doesn’t often translate in your average film poster. For Céline Sciamma’s period romance *Portrait of a Lady on Fire*, the oil painted flame at the center of the poster has a distinct, deeply sensual texture. What makes the poster even more engaging is its optical illusion, as the flame also contains the silhouettes of two women kissing, a gesture to the film’s plot. Stehrenberger regularly uses such illusions in her posters; see her work for *Colossal*, *Red Riding*, and Netflix’s *Unbelievable*.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2020/03/akiko-4.jpg)

Akiko Stehrenberger’s poster for Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), dir. Céline Sciamma (left), and for Colossal (2017), dir. Nacho Vigalondo

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2020/03/akiko-sample-pdf-page-005-1-scaled-e1585181757901.jpg)

Akiko Stehrenberger’s poster for Under the Skin (2014), dir. Jonathan Glazer

Stehrenberger’s work is most compelling when it’s seemingly at its simplest, focused on distilling the mood of a film via the faces of its protagonists. Artwork for films like *500 days of Summer*, *Spring Breakers* and *Her* demonstrate that Stehrenberger isn’t afraid to push and play with boundaries, and while illustrated poster art usually evinces a sense of nostalgia, Stehrenberger’s work feels fresh in its use of bold colors and considered compositions. It’s a testament to the importance of film art work, and an exciting example of how more risky takes on posters can and will pay off if given the opportunity.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2020/03/akiko-3.jpg)

Akiko Stehrenberger’s posters for Her (2013), dir. Spike Jonze

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2020/03/akikomatic_lbmsfv2-scaled-e1585183419313.jpg)

Akiko Stehrenberger’s poster for The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2020), dir. Joe Talbot

[Akikomatic: The Work of Akiko Stehrenberger](https://hatandbeard.com/products/akikomatic-the-art-of-akiko-stehrenberger?ref=hyperallergic.com), *edited by J.C. Gabel and Akiko Stehrenberger (2020) is now available from Hat and Beard Press and* [*on Bookshop*](https://bookshop.org/a/539/9781732734579?ref=hyperallergic.com)*.*