Born and raised in Antwerp, graphic designer Inge Rylant (26) really enjoyed making the cover for this magazine.
“My inspiration for the cover is, of course, Antwerp, especially my own experiences in the city. I tried to mix the typical tourist image of Antwerp with the contemporary Antwerp I know. The most obvious objects on the cover are beer, diamonds and the river Scheldt but to me coffee, bikes and Jews are as typical for Antwerp. The neighbourhood I live in is also home to a big community of Orthodox Hasidic Jews. They tend to stand out because of their traditional clothing (black and white) and the typical male side curls hence the curls on the cover...Another frequent sight in Antwerp are the fixed gear bikes or fixies (a single-speed bicycle) . I don’t own one myself, but I do bike a lot through Antwerp. I didn’t even use a car to move from one apartment to the other, I just used my bike instead. Really, I just strapped everything on it: tables, cabinets, chairs, … (giggles)"
“I don’t think I really knew what a graphic designer was as a kid but I did go to art classes from the age of four. I later on went to art school and I eventually finished my master illustration at St. Lucas University College of Art and Design Antwerp about 4 years ago. Even before I graduated, I started working for , a well-known kid's fashion designer from Antwerp. To this day I still design prints and fabrics for her label.
After graduation, I decided to do everything I could to solely work as an illustrator or graphic designer. There are too many examples of people who studied illustration, then started working in a bar or a restaurant to earn money and never picked up their craft again. Of course, I too experience that earning enough money with illustration isn’t easy. At some point you have to start taking on some commercial stuff as well, because you have to pay the rent, right?”
“The variation! Each day brings something new. It might sound cliché, but my job doesn’t feel like working to me… Because I am self-employed, I can work whenever and wherever. Working at home is a big plus. I’m really not up for working as an in-house graphic designer for a big agency."
“I used to only make hand-drawn sketches but right now I make everything in Illustrator. And since I started silkscreen printing, I abstract more; my drawings are cleaner and sharper. When I start illustrating, I do a lot of research on the subject to try and capture the essence of it. Another project I tried, was having my own silkscreen printing studio, but that wasn’t an overwhelming success. I tried using a old tanning bed instead of an expensive light box, but all I got was lots of smoke, even after I’d pulled the plug…"
“My heroes are illustrators and Dick Bruna. Dick Bruna is famous for ‘Miffy’ ( Nijntje in Dutch), a small rabbit drawn with heavy graphic lines, simple shapes and primary colours but I am even more fond of the graphic work he did for the covers of the book series ‘ Zwarte Beertjes’ . I also admire how Dutch designer Karel Martens uses colour and typography and of course I’m always inspired by cities, books, posters, fashion, photography and travels. For example, I really like the typical Portuguese tiles, the painted facades and the typography they use in Portugal.”
“I love that everything is within biking distance and that there is always something to do: parties, flea markets, events and expositions. Antwerp is pretty small, without having a claustrophobic village feeling, but It’s nice to know that you can go out to a bar and you can be sure to bump into someone you know.. You won’t find this vibe in other cities like Leuven or Ghent which are real student cities. Antwerp has the perfect mix: students, families, old people and l just a lot of people from different cultures.”
“I really love this job.I do a lot of graphic work which I like, but making illustrations, like this cover, is still my favourite part of the job. Another cool one was making illustrations for a New York organization that encourages kids to eat healthier. I love drawing food! I hope I can keep illustrating and designing the next few years and I'm looking forward to many fun assignments and collaborations!”
The cover of the new This Is Antwerp magazine containing all of the elements (a bike, beer, the Scheldt,....)
*go for lunch ? “ , I like to come here at noon for a sandwich. It's more relaxed than in the evening.” (Stanleystraat 1, 2018 Antwerp)
* go for dinner ? “ Good food, good prices and a great atmosphere.” (Verlatstraat 2, 2000 Antwerp)
* Drink your coffee ?” , where they serve normal coffee for a normal price. I don ‘t like trendy coffee bars with fancy coffees with milk, honey, cinnamon or whatever they put in there. I drink my coffee black.“ (Vrijdagmarkt 12, 2000 Antwerp)
* shop ? “ COS for clothes and for awesome and beautiful things” ( COS, Hopland 31 and Korte Gasthuisstraat 16-18, 2000 Antwerp. Atelier Solarshop, Dambruggestraat 48, 2060 Antwerpen)
* drink a beer ? “In the bar near the cathedral. It’s very cozy.” ( Blauwmoezelstraat 8, 2000 Antwerp)
* relax ? “ At the stairs of the .( Leopold De Waelplaats, 2000 Antwerp)
* Go out? “ Recently, DE Studio started throwing very fun parties. And there's some kind of a pop-up culture for parties in Antwerp, so the locations are constantly changing.” (DE Studio, Maarschalk Gerardstraat 4, 2000 Antwerp)
“The botanical garden is a beautiful peaceful oasis in the middle of the busy city center. (Leopoldstraat 24, 2000 Antwerp). Also peaceful and fun to do with friends is having picnic or barbecue on the quays of the Scheldt (Steenplein, 2000 Antwerp). In the (MoMu) there are always interesting expositions. Below the museum you’ll find a unique bookshop called . (Nationalestraat 28, 2000 Antwerp). And last but not least: the Dageraadplaats is an awesome square, a bit outside of the city center, that has lots of bars and restaurants and big trees. And in the night, you can see stellar lights lightening up the square.”
Inge Rylant is an illustrator for Villanella/DE Studio and Flemish magazines including DS Magazine, DM Magazine, Knack Weekend. As a graphic designer she also lay-outs books and magazine, creates identities and designs prints for clothing.
By Liesbeth Vermaercke