Hi, I’m Rik — a visual artist working at the intersection of painting, illustration, and graphic design. I’m originally from the Netherlands, spent seven years in Berlin, and now live and work in Amsterdam.
At the heart of my practice are big, unanswerable questions. I try to approach this not by offering answers, but by creating visual spaces that invite reflection, resonance, and open interpretation.
My work draws from psychedelic aesthetics, cultural anthropology, and the rhythms of the natural world. I’m fascinated by systems of meaning — ancient and contemporary — and how visual language can become a form of orientation or reverence.
My visual language is shaped by a wide range of influences: experimental music, ecology, myth and folklore, surrealist literature, dream states, vintage poster art, and the quiet logic of natural forms. I’m drawn to work that lingers between worlds — sensory, symbolic, and surreal. I summarise it as psychedelic solarpunk or metaphysical sunshine.
I’m interested in what the past can teach us about the future — especially when it comes to the parts of the world that grow, flutter, and bloom.
drop me a line (OR A poem, LOVE LETTER, burning question)
where i worked /
freelance graphic artist
2017 – present
homies foundation / amsterdam
creative / 2021 – PRESENT
innocean / berlin
junior designer / 2021 – 2022
innocean / berlin
working student design + ad / 2021
atttd. / berlin
design intern / 2020
innocean / berlin
art direction intern / 2020
rainey records / berlin
founder / 2020 – present
ddb / berlin
art direction intern / 2020
minga / berlin
design intern / 2016 – 2017
a-dam / amsterdam
design intern / 2015 – 2016
what i studied /
miami ad school / berlin
art direction / 2018 – 2021
steinbeis-smi / berlin
creativity & management / 2018 – 2021
cibap / zwolle
graphic design / 2014 – 2017
what i “achieved” /
2025
personal
”Op hoop van zegen / 顺风寄愿” solo exhibtion /
chinese european art center (ceac), xiamen
artist in residence /
chinese european art center (ceac), xiamen
2024
personal
”=Art 02” group exhibition /
=art pop-up gallery, amsterdam
”be the fool” group exhibtion /
de.studio, amsterdam
”soep” solo exhibtion /
aufhof, hannover
(in collaboration with braunschweiger galerie jaeschke)
2023
personal
”lush” by hush maison exhibtion /
secret location, berlin
d&ad “foot in the door” /
interview (read here)
2022
personal
d&ad top illustrator 2022 /
no. 3
the bookcase for tolerance
cannes lions /
bronze, shortlist (x4)
d&ad /
yellow pencil, wood pencil (x3), shortlist
the one show /
merit (x3)
adc global /
silver cube, bronze cube (x2), merit, shortlist
cresta /
gold, silver (x2), bronze
epica awards /
bronze
mad stars /
silver, bronze, crystal (4)
webby /
diversity & inclusion, best use of ar
lovie /
gold (x2), people’s voice
adc netherlands /
members award, silver spin, bronze spin,
bronze lamp
adc germany /
silver nail, bronze nail (x2), merit (x5)
shots creative /
bronze
gerety awards /
ar experience
phnx awards /
gold
fwa Awards /
fwa of the day
techcrunch /
app of the week
adage /
editors pick
bestads /
best of interactive
nu.nl /
app of the week
2021
personal
”apelbaum 02” group exhibition /
anomalie art club, berlin
festival of animation berlin
cannes lions /
shortlist
new york festivals /
shortlist (x6)
d&ad /
shortlist
adc germany /
gold, merit, shortlist (x3)
one show /
merit (x3)
adc global /
merit, shortlist (x2)
the uncensored library
cannes lions /
gold (3), silver (4), bronze (2), titanium shortlist
d&ad /
yellow pencil (2), graphite pencil, wood pencil (5)
the one show /
sustainable development pencil, gold pencil (3), silver pencil (4), bronze pencil (2)
adc 100th annual awards /
black cube, designism cube, grand prix, gold (4), bronze
adc germany /
grand prix, gold (5), silver (6), bronze (4)
new york festivals /
silver (3), bronze
the index project /
finalist
webby /
winner
fast company world changing ideas award /
winner
fwa awards /
fwa of the month
gerety awards /
silver
eventex /
grand prix, gold (3)
campaign experience awards /
gold (3)
ana reggie awards /
grand prix, gold
clios /
grand prix, silver (3), bronze
nrw media prize /
1st (development policy commitment)
beazley design of the year /
nominee
2020
personal
”supercorp” group exhibition /
supercorp, barcelona
lego “break this”
d&ad new blood /
graphite pencil
2019
personal
portfolio award, miami ad school berlin /
each quarter, one student receives this award for the best overall performance and highest average grade.
wag “it’s a hug”
young shits /
runner up
you made it all the way down here, thank you.
here’s my favourite playlist, some mellow psychedelia.
have a nice day :)