Nicolas Lesaffre is an Animation director, IP creator and Art toy Designer.                   
His art spans a variety of media including digital art, animation, IP creation, and installation of large-scale sculptures & immersive experiences.
 Born and raised in France, Nicolas Debuted his career in feature film working on the first animated film by Luc Besson in Paris. Since then, Nicolas pursued a successful career as a commercial artist for global brands and clients and  has been actively engaged to merge animation and quirky characters into the advertising market as a CG animation Director and illustrator.
Over the years Nicolas has created a colorful palette of films, illustration, projection mapping ,augmented reality, and IP creation in Paris, London, Los Angeles and for15 years in Hong Kong under the label of his creative animation studio, Nikopicto.
Nicolas has collaborations with brands such as Gucci, Lacoste, Louis Vuitton, Wechat, Nissan, Hasbro, HSBC, BNP, VW, American Express, Mc Donald's, Hong Kong Land, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Singapore Tourism Board ...
Nicolas’s artwork has been awarded and showcased in many international film festivals and Museum such as the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Beijing Forbidden City, Cannes Lions Festival, Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film, Australian International Animation Festival, and earned spots in Shots, Lürzer’s Archive, Stash Media, and Motionographer.

EXHIBITIONS 

2026 Beijing Forbidden CIty, Palace Museum Art toy Exhibition curated by CCIDA.
Art toys
2026 Jakarta  "Evate" curated by Meiro Gallery
Paint /Art toys / Large scale sculpture.
2025 Hong Kong  Creativity Unboxed, curated by Hong Kong Design Center
Art toys / illustrations
2025 Kuala Lumpur "Art toy Story Exhibition", Malaysia curated by CCIDA.
Art toys / illustrations / Large scale sculpture.
2025 Jakarta "Untold Stories" curated by Meiro Gallery
Art toys / Large scale sculpture.
2025 Jakarta "Art toy Story Exhibition", Indonesia curated by CCIDA.
Art toys / large scale sculpture.
2024 Hong Kong ‘GBA Creative Fortnight’ Themed 'What’s NE(X)T' curated by Hong Kong Design Center
Illuminated Inflatables / immersive large scale180 screen animation
2023 Shanghai "Hug the K" China International Licensing Expo curated by the Travelling Muzeum.
Art toys. 
2022 Chongqing China "The Ring" curated by Hong Kong land. 
5000 square feet installation / large scale scultpure / interactive digital art / 15 meter high inflatable.
2022 Bangkok "Art toy Story Exhibition", CentralWorld Bangkok, Thailand curated by CREATEHK. 
Art toy / Large scale sculpture.
2021 Hong Kong Central "Monet Garden X Hug the K" curated by the Travelling Muzeum.
Large Scale sculpture / Inflatables /  Large scale outdoor screen
2017 Hong Kong Cultural center, Curated by Hong Kong Tourism Board
Large scale interactive sculpture / inflatables / large scale projection mapping  with CGI animation.
AWARDS

2024 Hong Kong ICT : Gold award Ouigo Spain TVC
2021: Finalist at the "Trophées des Français de Hong Kong"
2020 Hong Kong ICT : Bronze award short film WUEN
2019 Hong Kong ICT : Gold award  - "Wear your beautiful life"
2019 MARKies Awards Hong Kong:  bronze, silver and gold wards OPTICAL 88
2019 ASP create Hong Kong- Silver award- short film WUEN 
2019 Digicon6 Asia Award - short film GOING APE
2014 Maze Awards - Gold award AMEX
2012 Annual design awards - Best Digital art award
2012 TIDCA Taipei International - digital graphic Finalist and Jury award. DURACELL
2010 Cannes Advertising Festival - Shortlisted DURACELL
2009 Eurobest - Bronze Award 
2008 EPICA Festival –Silver Award 
2008 New York Boards awards : Animation Director Finalist
2007 anim'est Film Festival : gold Award Vinyl's Attack

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OFFICAL SELECTION

PLANET FOODIES:
2025 Cinetoile / France
2025 Miami Art Tech Summit / USA
2025 24 Frame Future Film Fest/ Italy
2025 Greater Bay Area Animation Film Week, Award / China
2025 Within the Family International Festival of Family and Children's Films / Russia
2025 Northwest International Film Festival / USA
2025 Qinling Mountains Film Festival / China
2025 Kinodiseea International Film Festival / Romania
2025 AnimArte / Brazil

GOING APE:
2019 Digicon6 ASIA Award Hong Kong
2019 Woodstock Film Festival
2019 Cape Town International Animation Festival 
2019 Australian International Animation Festival
2019 Insomnia Festival Russia
2019 Aimac Spain
2019 Anilogue International Animation Festival 
2019 8th China Independent Animation Film Forum
2019 Melbourne International Animation Festival AUSTRALIA
2018 Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film GERMANY
2018 Anima Mundi Rio de Janeiro BRAZIL
2018 Athens ANIMFEST GRECE
2018 Cortoons Festival Gandia 2019_ Valencia SPAIN
2018 International animation film festival GOLDEN KUKER - Sofia BULGARIA
2018 Copper Coast International Film Festival UK
2018 La Guarimba International Film Festival ITALY
2018 KisaKes (Cut It Short) Short Film Festival Istanbul Turkey
2017 SIGGRAPH asia Bangkok THAILAND
2017 Bitfilm Contest 
2017 Cardiff International Film Festival UK
2017 Chellavision Short Film Fest CA USA
2017 Sacalacalaca, Interdimensional Horror & Sci-Fi Festival Mexico
2017 Hong Kong Arthouse Film Festival
2017 Multivision Festival St Petersburg Russia
2017 Celtic Animation Film Competition Liverpool UK

WUEN:
2023 Hong Kong Palace Museum screening
2020 Athen's International Children's Film Festival
2020 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival
2020 Brooklyn Film Festival
2020 Kiki International Film Festival for Kids
2020 Mecal Barcelona International short and animation Film Festival
2020 Les 12 Courts de Minuit
2019 Lahore International Children's Film Festival
2019 Festival Internatiocional de Cine de Quito
2019 The 8th China International Micro-Film Festival
2019 Hsin-Yi Children's Animation Awards

WEAR YOUR BEAUTIFUL LIFE:
2020 Golden Kuker Sofia International Animation Festival
2020 Brooklyn Film Festival
2020 Macao Film Panorama
2020 Kids Brooklyn Film Fest
2019 Hsin-Yi Children's Animation Awards
2019 Anima Cordoba International Animation Festival
2019 Annecy international Animation Film Festival (Mifa screening)

VINYL'S ATTACK:
2007Anime'est Film Festival 

HERNANDO:
2005 Imagina
2005 Siggraph
2005 Soho short film 
2005 Anifest 
2005 Ottawa International Animation Film Festival
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