@liekevandervorst

Instagram: @liekevandervorst Facebook: www.facebook.com/liekeland Website: www.liekeland.com  

1. What's your story? Where are you from?

27 years ago I was born in a little village called Kaatsheuvel, in the south of the Netherlands. I lived there for 17 years, then moved to a bigger city to study graphic design, and after this school I went to the art academy, where I studied illustration. I always loved to draw and so I’m still doing that.

2. Tell us about your aesthetic.

I love patterns and old stuff, like furniture with stories, old wood and the colors in nature.

3. What is your favourite medium and why?

I use ballpoint pencils a lot and soft colored pencils, the paper I illustrate on is from Arctic Paper.

4. What is your artistic process like?

Always different to be honest, sometimes I like to sketch and I make many try-outs before I’m going to illustrate the final illustration. Sometimes I start direct on the big paper with a illustration, most of the times just because I really want to illustrate and don’t want to wait. These illustrations work out the best for me, because it’s a kind of process that I didn’t had to think before illustrating.

5. Who and/or what inspires your work?

Food is a big inspiration for me, eating with friends, cookbooks, preparing food and going to the market and restaurants.

6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?

A big role, love to go to museums and I really love to see modern dance performances. Last week a good friend danced with her dance group in the theater and I was so happy and full of inspiration after this show.

7. Where did you study?

I went to the graphic design school St. Lucas where I studied graphic design, and then to the AKV St. Joost, art academy where I studied illustration.

8. Where do you see yourself in five years? Working in an agency?

I really don’t know.. sorry. I always had a 5 or 10 year plan but completely stopped with making plans, they don’t work for me that well.. haha

9. What about in ten?

the same, can’t tell!

10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?

I hope they will tell the story that I would love to share, to be kind to animals, live with them and our nature. And eat healthy good food.

11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favorite food?

Oh so many.. I love all kinds of salads, with roasted vegetables, pumpkin and sweet potato. Or mango’s, love them. Also really like fresh spring-rolls with tempeh, and lately I eat a lot of chickpea curries, with fresh baked naan-bread and cucumber.

12. Favourite book?

The green kitchen, all of their books, really love them!

13. Favourite genre of music?

I love happy protest music like Billy Bragg, Toh Kay and Manu Chao, songs with a message. Also love the music of Restavrant a lot.

14. What are your hobbies?

Cooking, working in the garden, eating with friends and I’m trying to do yoga and I love to swim.

15. If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?

Something with food, I love to read books about a healthy way of eating and living and love to see documentaries like ‘in defense of food’, maybe I would have done something with this interest.