Esmee van der Plas

What if no one talks about it?

About the silence surrounding HPV.

My name is Esmee van der Plas. As a graphic designer, I often work from personal experiences. I see my work as a way to make topics that normally remain hidden visible. By designing from my own perspective, I hope to create space for recognition, conversation, and change.

My graduation project, Unveil, began in silence. The silence that followed when I learned I had HPV. No explanation. No open conversation. Just a vague diagnosis and the feeling that I had to figure it out for myself. Not only did I know little about it, but the people around me barely knew either. And yet HPV is one of the most common viruses in the world.

That experience felt lonely and invisible. And that's precisely why I wanted to make it my work.

Unveil is about breaking that silence. About bringing what is often kept secret into conversation. The scarves I designed are, both literally and figuratively, a wearable conversation. Each design revolves around themes of vulnerability, revelation, and connection. They invite us to look, to ask, and above all, to talk.

With my graduation project, I wanted to not only tell a personal story but also do something good—something that extends beyond myself. That's why a portion of the proceeds from Unveil will go to the Olijf Foundation. Olijf is committed to helping women with gynecological cancer and champions better education, support, and openness.

With Unveil, I want to show that openness can start with yourself. Sometimes, just one conversation or a design is enough to set something in motion.