About
Treasure-hunting in stories about nature, culture or history, and examining, ordering, depicting and designing these, is what I do out of personal interest as well as on commission. With dedication and delight, I make complex subjects accessible.
For me, nature and culture are deeply connected. I am fascinated by the context, or the time and place, in which forms emerge, whether they concern matter, lifeforms, or artefacts. This could include history, the city, language, an unexpected encounter, the invention of the wheel, a conflict, or the warming biosphere.
Collections of natural and cultural history hold tangible objects of beauty. They tell countless stories about how they came to be and their biographies. By placing such objects in a new environment, such as exhibitions, restitution processes, classrooms, or books, and exploring their stories together with those involved, they can gain new significance. This way, they link the past, present, and future.
I master many techniques to make these stories accessible to a broad audience, for example, through design, visualisation, storytelling, and editing of images and words. Yet, I always ensure that form serves the content. In an unconventional yet modest manner, I make a difference.
With nearly three decades of experience in the cultural sector as a graphic and multidisciplinary designer, and a recent master’s degree (cum laude) in museum and heritage studies from the Reinwardt Academy, I aspire to pursue my long-standing desire to engage more in museum work. I am especially eager to contribute to highlighting societal themes for a broad audience. Engaging museum visitors with pressing topics such as biodiversity and climate change is my particular focus.
Please contact me at hello@josjemarievrolijk.com
Follow me on instagram.com/josjemarie
Connect with me on linkedin.com/in/josje-marie-vrolijk
Based in Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
Work experience
2025 • Embedded research placement at Naturalis Biodiversity Center ( Presentations department)
1996-PRESENT • Self-initiated visual arts & research projects
1996-PRESENT • Design & illustration work commissioned by a variety of clients
1996-PRESENT • Employed as a designer at Urhahn | urban design & strategy
Education
2023-2025 • Master's Applied Museum and Heritage Studies - Reinwardt Academy, Amsterdam (diploma, cum laude & winner Heritage Intervention Award 2025)
2023 • English Academic Writing course - University of Amsterdam (certificate: CEFR level C1)
2020 • Illustratie Expeditie (education for refreshing my illustration skills)
1992-1996 • Fine Arts - KABK Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten (Royal Academy of Art), The Hague (diploma)
1991-1992 • Theatre design - HKU Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (HKU University of the Arts)
