After acquiring her Master of Arts at the University of Hasselt in Belgium (2016), Iris Van der Heijden is active as a freelance designer. She moves between her hometown Maastricht, Amsterdam and Hasselt.
Besides working as a graphic and interaction designer, she is also focusing on photography and video, concepting, illustrations and calligraphy. “The correlation between music and visuals and the use of manual techniques (for example paint and ‘calligraffiti’) combined with digital techniques form the main concepts in my work.” clarifies Iris. Topics in her work are related to the field of a hip hop influenced style and music from artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Khalil Joseph (the video director of Flying Lotus) and Kendrick Lamar. Iris works the most effective as an independent, she loves organizing exhibitions for young artist. For example along with the organisation called A2Collective in Maastricht.
More about her: www.irisvanderheijden.com
Iris about joining The School Hasselt:
“I joined The School in November 2017 after quitting my job as a graphic designer for the Dutch supermarket called Albert Heijn. I have the tendency to jump from one extreme to another. From a very commercial workplace to a very free environment. I felt like I had to take this challenge and see what I can get out of it. So far, it has been a rocky road but I can say it has been a very informative one. For me this comes to working together with others, being selective in what work to do (since it’s a lot happening in The School) and the confrontation when it comes to the creative process when making new work. So far I joined the festivals, thought about concepts and helped out in the Tajine restaurant. Currently I’m focussed on the Urban Playground Festival happening April 6th. For this festival I’m creating the branding and focussing on a design and repaint of a basketball field.“