Antje Illner is a graduate of the Royal College of Art and the Fachhochschule für Gestaltung in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, in Jewellery Design. She taught for four years at the University of Plymouth in 3D Design. Since 1999, Antje Illner has been a senior lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, in 2010 she became the Programme Leader for Contemporary Applied Art. Antje Illner joined the Royal College of Art in 1996 as a visiting lecturer and became a tutor in jewellery in 1998. Antje Illner is responsible for the course elective Designing for Industry‚ which offers students the opportunity to design and gain an insight into related creative industries.
Antje Illner has exhibited her jewellery in the UK and Europe and worked as a design consultant and industrial designer.