In the beginning of 2025 I was asked by the kind folks at Illustratie Ambassade to create a sort of temporary mural that would function as an interactive map of the Amsterdam Westerpark. As a kid I used to draw maps all the time, fantasy worlds and such so I was very excited and thankful to pick up the task at hand!
The map would be used during a two-week manifestation honoring the city’s 750’th anniversary with a cheerful exploration of drawing and nature. Visitors to the manifestations were invited to take a dedicated slip of paper and go out to draw a bird, an insect, a tree, any ecological observation - thus not only promoting the art of drawing and illustration, but also citizen science.
The map would be used during a two-week manifestation honoring the city’s 750’th anniversary with a cheerful exploration of drawing and nature. Visitors to the manifestations were invited to take a dedicated slip of paper and go out to draw a bird, an insect, a tree, any ecological observation - thus not only promoting the art of drawing and illustration, but also citizen science.
A composite of the final works:
See more pictures of the opening and the many, many drawings made by visitors here. A big deserving shoutout to Amber Paffen who was my intern at the time and helped me out tremendously!