Joey, co-founder of the alternative art brand Akumu Ink®, is a painter and illustrator whose work delves into themes of loneliness, resilience, and the search for hope within sadness.
Originally from Montreal, Canada, Joey is a self-taught artist who went on to study Illustration at Dawson College and Animation at Sheridan College. After graduation, he began his career illustrating children’s books.
In 2007, he met his wife Aldora, whose business vision complemented his creative drive. Together, they launched Akumu Ink®—a brand inspired by cartoons, metal music, and horror movies. Since then, Joey has created more than 300 t-shirt designs and illustrated four storybooks for the brand.
Now based in a village just outside Amsterdam, Joey has expanded his creative practice into painting, layering moody acrylics with symbolic storytelling. This medium allows him to explore his nightmare world in ways that go beyond the limited palette of t-shirts and storybook illustrations. Each piece navigates the depths of sadness through dark tones, punctuated with bursts of vivid color.
Joey’s original paintings are available exclusively through the Akumu Ink® website, where every work is hand-painted, signed, and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
