Meet Rick Berkelmans | Hedof, illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rick Berkelmans and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rick, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I think even at a very young age things got into motion for me to do something with drawing. From being “that kid good at drawing” in elementary school, to discovering skateboarding and graffiti as a teen, I was always interested in expressing myself creatively. My parents were both entrepreneurs and hard workers so when I combined that hustle mentality with creativity and a bit of rebellion from graffiti and skateboard culture; my studio was born!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Hedof is the one-man creative studio of Dutch illustrator Rick Berkelmans. His striking illustration work is a thoughtful, well balanced composition full of candy coloured sceneries, suspicious characters and wonky shapes that reflect Rick’s positive attitude and his studio filled with silly looking toys.

Berkelmans’ laid back, yet smart approach to imagemaking has found it’s way into numerous magazines, products, advertising campaigns, installations and huge walls, all over the globe.
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Always able to maintain a strong, recognizable voice while working through different disciplines for clients such as Nike, The New York Times, Nickelodeon, Ikea and Youtube

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Breda, which is a small city in the south of the Netherlands. Even though it isn’t well know like Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Antwerp, Breda has a great atmosphere and those touristic cities are all less than an hour away. When I have friends coming over I would take them to a few of my favorite spots:
– drinking beers at De Beyerd, which is a really old beer bar in the city centre, it has it’s own brewery, delicious snacks, dozens of interesting beers, a great ambiance and is voted best “cafe” of The Netherlands several times over the years.
– checking out the Blind Walls Gallery murals, we have over 100 murals by amazing artists from all over the world. As a designer I am super proud to have these incredible artworks all over my city and I would take my guests for a walk showing them some of my personal favorites.
– partying at Pier15 Skatepark, which is not only one of the best skateparks in Europe, it is also such a great hangout spot with a gorgeous bar overviewing the park, and a huuuuge terrace with skate bowl outside where there is always something happening: could be a pop up restaurant, wild performance band, dance festival, or just families chilling on a Sunday afternoon.
– a run in the Mastbos. I live in south of the city, only a couple blocks away from where the forrest starts. I love running and often set out exciting routes exploring the forrest and its hidden paths, ponds, and play areas where kids can go wild.
– having a long dinner in the city centre, so many spots to choose from. A few of my favorites are Bobby’s Bar, De Botanist, Bardot, Chocolat, Plan B or if you want to go extra fancy: Porta Sud!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Xaviera Altena, illustrator from Rotterdam Jeroen Smeets, founder of The Jaunt
Justo Heras, founder of Laser Barcelona

Website: Hedof.com

Instagram: @hedof