There’s a first for everything. And today we are super stoked to announce our first ever customizable tees, totes and sweaters! Dutch artist Bijdevleet designed a new twist on the iconic Beatles T-shirt by swapping the band members’ names for the names of three pupils of an Indonesian school. And on top of that: you can be part of the band by adding your name to the design as well!
The iconic Beatles t-shirt
If you’re into T-shirt culture, you probably know the iconic T-shirt on which the names John, Paul, Ringo and George of the Beatles are being listed. As collabing with Indonesian school kids is so much fun, it feels like you’re in a band, we thought it might be cool to create a variation on this T-shirt by swapping the initial names for the names of some of the Indonesian children of the Duduk Atas school.
Join the band: get your name on this tee
And the fun thing is: you can join our band too! Because this is the first drop where you can add your name to. So besides selecting your size and color of the T-shirt (or sweater or tote bag), you can also add your name. This makes it a unique item to wear!
Handmade font
Rotterdam based artist Bijdevleet is a phenomenal designer and letterist. He sprayed a huge mural in Rotterdam titled ‘We are all a work in progress’ during the Pow Wow! festival. For his Face This artwork he created a completely new font by hand and with this font he designed the names that are listed on the T-shirt. Nice detail: in the letters Bijdevleet incorporated the drawings of the kids who are listed in the artwork. So in Zulhandi’s name, Bijdevleet placed Zulhandi’s drawing in her name and so on.
Bijdevleet’s artwork
Who is artist Bijdevleet? How did he experience designing his Face This artwork? And how did he end up being an artist? Read on to learn more about the magnificent artist and letterist!
Face This: Can you tell us something about your cultural background? Where did you grow up? Did you always like to draw?
Bijdevleet: ‘I was born in Utrecht but we moved and I grew up in a small town with my mom, dad, big brother and sister. I remember that, as a kid, I was always drawing. Later came skateboarding and windsurfing.’
Face This: Is there one drawing that you can recall from your childhood? What was it about?
Bijdevleet: ‘Yes, as a kid, I was always drawing. And one time, at a family party, my uncle (who was a (high school) teacher) taught me how to draw an airplane in 3d. I was super proud of how it turned out, it was really looking like a real airplane 😉 He changed the way I was looking at things to draw. I was probably around 7 or 8 years old at that time.’
The customizable tee and sweater designed by letter artist Bijdevleet. Pic by Vera Ijzelenberg
Face This: Are there specific moments in your life that made you decide to become an artist?
Bijdevleet: ‘I don’t consider myself to be an artist, but like I said before, I have always been drawing as a kid. When I was a teenager I started to draw letters and bomb graffiti… Looking back, that was total (creative) freedom. I think that this was one of the first triggers for me to become a graphic designer with a passion for typography. But also skateboarding and surfing have a part in it, it is all about creativity.’
Face This: What do you like most about being an artist?
Bijdevleet: ‘Freedom.’
Face This: What is the biggest challenge for you, being an artist?
Bijdevleet: ‘The biggest challenge is probably to not keep doing the same trick, but try to push myself trying new things, pushing my boundaries. And to keep it fun and enjoy the process.’
Face This: As an artist, do you have any dreams? Are there some goals you would like to achieve? Is there something you’re building up for?
Bijdevleet: ‘I think my biggest dream is that I can keep doing this for a long time and to keep that same energy and creativity as when I started to draw as a kid. “Don’t grow up, it’s a trap”.’
Face This: Pablo Picasso once said: ‘Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up’. How do you remain an artist? And do you have tips for non-artists to cultivate their inner child?
Bijdevleet: ‘It’s really hard to keep an open mind in the creative process. There is so much inspiration available which can help you in the process, but it can also limit you in your creative process. For me, most of my projects start with a pencil on a piece of paper…’
The customizable tee designed by letter artist Bijdevleet. Pic by Vera Ijzelenberg
Face This: When we reached out to you, what made you want to join?
Bijdevleet: ‘I already knew the creative project and the good you are doing for the kids in Indonesia. I was really honored that you reached out to me to become part of this beautiful project.’
Face This: When you received the childrens drawings, what was your first reaction? What did you see in them? Can you describe them a bit for us?
Bijdevleet: ‘There was so much love and joy in all the drawings. I saw happiness. Made me smile!’
Face This: Which drawings did you use to create your artwork with (you can refer to the drawings by using the file names)? And why did you pick these?
Bijdevleet: ‘It was really hard making a selection… But I narrowed it down to the drawings of Zulhandi, Juheria and Nuasiah. These 3 drawings combined were a total image of happy people, animals, beautiful nature and landscapes.’
Face This: Can you tell us something about how you have experienced this collaboration?
Bijdevleet: ‘It was such a big honor and fun experience working with the awesome drawings of Zulhandi, Juheria and Nurasiah. It felt really great that I did this together with them. Not the usual collaboration. Thanks!’
Face This: To conclude, is there something you would like to say to the kids who made the drawings you’ve worked with?
Bijdevleet: ‘Thanks for all the great drawings that really helped me to create this artwork. Keep on drawing and make this world a happy place. :)’
