Maud: “I see my work as one big research where everything is possible”
- Design
Maud de Vries is finishing her bachelor's degree in Illustration Design in Zwolle. Besides her studies, Maud works as a cleaner and this forms the core of her graduation project: The Cleaning Friendship. In her work, she combines various materials such as ceramics, paper and cleaning utensils to tell her story.
"What I am showing during the finals is my work about the part-time job I have here in Zwolle. It's basically about cleaning friendship. It's fun, it's touching, it's sometimes a bit abrasive and it can also be a bit dirty. I try to bring all that together in my work," says Maud.
More than a cleaner
She is a cleaner, but she is much more than that. She helps around the house, is a listening ear and, most importantly, a friend. Maud: "So all together, and that's The Cleaning Friendship". It's about everyday life, the simple things. It's about seeing each other, helping each other, paying attention to each other.
A study where anything goes
The graduate chose this subject not only because she likes it, but also because it gives her the freedom to experiment. Maud loves to experiment with different materials and tries to combine as many things as possible. "Everything I want to learn, I try to do myself," she says.
She sees her work as one big research project where anything goes. This is how she approached her latest work. Within the theme, she plays with image, text and different materials. "In my final, you will see paper, ceramics, but also experiments with cleaning materials," she says.
Authentic images
The bachelor's degree in Illustration Design in Zwolle trains independent-minded image-makers like Maud, who look at the world with an open and engaged mind and enrich it with new stories and meanings. The programme offers space for research, autonomy and entrepreneurship, and encourages students to develop their own unique, authentic visual language.
