Dive into the Mesmerizing World of a Dutch Illustrator

Bright palettes, layered compositions, and mysterious characters fill out the work of Utrecht artist Merijn Hos.

September 4, 2015, 1:30pm

A Long Strange Trip, Illustration for Nylon Guys magazine (US) to accompany a piece about psychedelic drugs. All images courtesy of the artist.

Merijn Hos loves 60s graphic design and illustration—"all the big names from that period, from Heinz Edelmann to Dick Bruna," he tells The Creators Project. So it's fitting that a look through his portfolio feels a bit like a mind trip, with lighthearted moments of intense color and energy next to darker, layered compositions that exude an air of mystery. Don't confuse his work as the result of actual drug-induced experiences, however: Hos has never even dabbled with psychedelics. And frankly, who needs them when you know animation like he does? In his promo videos for the Down The Rabbit Hole music festival, he sends viewers on a journey down a tunnel of ever-changing color splashes and patterns.

DTRH 2015 from Jurriaan Hos on Vimeo.

Hos was born in 1978 and graduated in 2004 with a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in Utrecht. After school he transitioned directly into an independent practice ("Never had a boss in my life," he writes in an email with a smiley, answering while road tripping through the U.S.), and today divides his time between commercial and personal work. When balancing the two, he seems to have his priorities straight: "When I'm really focused on a personal project, I definitely skip a commercial project. It is important for me to be in a certain flow."

Many signature colors, shapes and textures run as a common thread throughout his work. "I have folders with patterns and objects than return in my work that I collected over the years," he explains. "As for the colors and shapes, they are stored in my head." He calls the little egg-shaped, recurring cartoon characters in his work his “shadow family.”

Wood Sculptures at Gallery Nina Sagt, 18/01/2014 - 17/02/2014, Dusseldorf, Germany.

It's hard not to smile when browsing through his recent series of painted wood sculptures, which he exhibits in large groups. Depicting bouquets, household objects and faces, they are painted with the loose, spontaneous hand of an artist who clearly appreciates the little things in life. When asked about his everyday influences, Hos answers simply, "I like to listen to books, I love conversations with friends in a bar, I enjoy looking at picture books."