Photography: Ben Grieme

What is growth for you?

For me it’s that constant change. Not standing still. Trying to become a better version of myself. I’ve made a book about my father, who is bipolar. That process was really personal and cathartic. My drawings became a tool to talk about my father’s disorder and come to terms with his condition. I can also get quite obsessed about my ambitions or reaching certain goals, so part of growth for me is also balancing that. Not to get burned out and actually enjoy the little things. Growing but at a slower pace.

What keeps you grounded?

My wife Lilia who is also a visual artist. My friends. Bouldering, which is a fairly recent obsession. You can’t think about anything else while you’re doing it. Being fully absorbed in the moment.

How do you connect with nature?

Most of the time we’re in the city. But having a dog forces us to go for long walks in some of the very great parks we have in Amsterdam. Having the same route and seeing nature change. Or a quick trip to the dunes. 

What is a book that has inspired you?

Currently I’m reading a book about Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It’s basically about happiness and how to reach a flow state. In general I read more fiction though, I really like how certain books connect to a certain period. Or listening to music while reading, becoming a soundtrack of the story. I remember reading Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff when we were on a holiday in South-Korea. It immediately transports me back to this amazing trip. It’s a really intense love story, told from two perspectives.

What is your favorite plant?

We have a really small city garden and in front of it is a patch of land which we confiscated. Basically if you take care of it, the municipality lets you grow plants and veg there. The first thing we planted there were a couple of artichokes, which have been blooming for years now.