About
Unearthing stories of nature, culture and history, and exploring them, making sense of them and bringing them to life, is what inspires me, both personally and professionally. With dedication and delight, I make complex subjects accessible.
For me, nature and culture are inextricably linked. I am fascinated by the context, time, and place in which form originates, whether in physical matter, life forms, or artefacts. This encompasses history, but also the city, language, unexpected encounters, the invention of the wheel, a conflict, and our warming biosphere. I love natural history and cultural history collections: tangible carriers of stories that connect the past, present and future.
With three decades of experience as a versatile designer and a master’s degree in museum and heritage studies, I use a wide range of techniques to bring the stories behind objects to light. These include content development, spatial and graphic design, visualisation, storytelling, and editing images and text. In my distinctive way, I’m always seeking to create beauty, but form always serves the content.
I currently apply my expertise at Perspekt, where I contribute to the development of meaningful exhibitions and spatial experiences.
Please contact me at hello@josjemarievrolijk.com
Connect with me on linkedin.com/in/josje-marie-vrolijk
Work experience
2026–present • Exhibition maker (from idea to delivery) at Perspekt (part-time employee)
At Perspekt, I work in a varied role developing exhibitions and spatial experiences for museums, visitor centres and businesses. I streamline graphic design processes, from concept through to final production. I also contribute to strategy, content, concept development, design, and storytelling.
2021–present • Heritage and museum projects
A range of projects involving concept development, design, research and visualisation for organisations including Naturalis, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, ProRail, Hendrik de Keyser Monuments and Stichting Texels Museum. See here.
1996–present • Design, visual art and research
Self-initiated paintings, drawings, photography, and research into natural and cultural history. Design of visual identities, websites and brochures, and the design and construction of furniture, staircases, objects and interiors for a range of private and business clients. See all pages on this website.
1996-2026 • (Graphic) design work at Urhahn | urban design & strategy (part-time employee)
Design of books, brochures and posters. Editing images and text for public-facing and specialist content on urban planning. Visualisation, including artist's impressions, plans, planning maps, timelines, infographics, photography, process visualisations and models. Concept development for books, communications materials and public participation events. Research into cultural history.
2025 • Research placement at Naturalis Biodiversity Centre
During my placement with the Presentations team at Naturalis, I contributed to the development of the exhibition The Forest of Suriname. I assisted with various tasks relating to content development and the design and development of exhibits, both independently and as part of a team.
Education
2023-2025 • Master’s in Applied Museum and Heritage Studies, cum laude • Reinwardt Academy, Amsterdam; winner of the Heritage Intervention Award
My dissertation Engaging museum visitors with the biodiversity crisis through a natural history collection, highlights the role museum objects can play in social and societal transitions. Through exhibition analyses at ten museums in the Netherlands and abroad, and a case study at Naturalis Biodiversity Center, I connect academic theories about the human–nature relationship and the gap between green aspirations and action with museum practice. The research can be viewed here.
1992-1996 • Drawing and Painting • Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK)
Graduation work: miniature still lifes in gouache, inspired by Persian miniatures and medieval books of hours.
1991-1992 • Theatre Design • Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU)
Designing immersive, spatial narratives.
Based in Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
