Axel Erik van der Kraan (Rotterdam, 18 April 1949) is a Dutch sculptor, performance artist and graphic artist, also known with Helena van der Kraan as Axel and Helena van der Kraan.
[1] Van der Kraan was born and raised in Rotterdam.
At young age Axel van der Kraan had developed a fascination for technology, which played an important role in his work.
In the 1970s he and Helene had started developing sculptures, with moving wooden images of people.
In 1990, at the Museum Boymans Van Beuningen, there was a retrospective of their work with sculptures, drawings, and photography.