J. Antonissen is a Belgian company whose 1962 logo is attributed to graphic designer Paul Ibou, the pseudonym of Paul Vermeersch (1939-2023). Ibou began his independent career in Antwerp in 1962, the same year he founded his design studio Paul Ibou Design, and went on to create more than 350 logos and symbols over a six-decade career.[1][2]
Design and History
Paul Ibou, born Paul Lodewijk Henri Vermeersch in Borgerhout, Belgium, adopted his pseudonym in 1957, derived from the French word “hibou” (owl), and created a personal owl-based logo at age 17.[3] He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and later at the Plantin Institute for typography, before establishing Paul Ibou Design in 1962.[1]
The J. Antonissen logo from 1962 dates to the very beginning of Ibou’s independent practice. During this period, Ibou was a pioneer in developing clear visual identities or corporate styles for Belgian businesses and organizations.[4] To convince clients of his designs, Ibou created three-dimensional presentations of his logos, which he called “logo-objects.” These objects formed part of his “logotheek” (logo library), a collection that was acquired by Design Museum Gent in 2019.[5]
While the specific J. Antonissen mark is not among the most widely documented of Ibou’s commissions, his work from this era is characterized by a functional, geometric approach suited to corporate identity. Ibou’s better-known logos from his career include those for the Province of Antwerp (1983-2014), the Belgian federal police, Cécémel, Antwerp-Tax, Tele-Onthaal, and the Belgian Tiercé.[2][6]
Meaning and Symbolism
However, Ibou’s design philosophy is evident in his broader body of work. His logo for the Province of Antwerp, for example, used fifteen triangles that together formed both the letters “P” and “A,” demonstrating his interest in multi-layered geometric letterforms.[2] His personal owl logo, created from “a few spheres and a simple body shape,” similarly reflects his preference for reduction to essential geometric forms.[7]
Typography and Design
Ibou’s training in printing techniques at Fotogravure De Schutter and his studies in the art of printing at the Plantin-Genootschap informed his typographic sensibility.[1] His career output, documented in publications such as Logobox 200 (1990) and Letters as Symbols, reflects a consistent focus on letter-based marks and symbols.[8][9]
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