What is your occupation now?
Right now I am a freelance creative and I work part-time in retail. I get pretty diverse jobs, which I personally find really fun, as my skills are also pretty diverse. I like working with photography, graphic design, illustration and writing. I am currently working as a copywriter for Fotofestival Schiedam and recently did an expo in Bibliotheek Almere.
What is your personal mission?
I graduated with a very personal project about cross-cultural identity and truly want to keep exploring this topic. My goal is to create a platform for the members of the cross-cultural community whom I can hopefully help gain more knowledge about their own unique identity formation through discussion and design.
Pages from In between publication, Graduation project
What did you gain from your study at WdKA?
These four years were often full of stress and moments where you wanted to throw your teachers out the window (laughing). However, I did gain so many insights on who I am as a person and especially where my weak points, interests and strengths lie. It was really during the minor cultural diversity, which was taught by Teana Boston-Mammah, that I found out who I wanted to become as a designer. She is an amazing teacher and person. I met so many like-minded people in this minor, which has been my biggest gain from the academy time.
Favourite WdKA memory?
All the times that Jasper de Koster, the Printing Station tutor, saved my life at the last minute (laughs). Jasper is always so patient and happy to explain his craft to others. Other than that my favourite memory would definitely be staying late until closing time at the academy, ordering food and stressing out together with my friends and classmates. You really bond during these times and I cherish every friendship I made.
Rayos de Sol, A series on what home feels like in shapes and colours. Shot in Tenerife, Curacao, The Dominican Republic.
What is the future of your profession in your opinion?
As the head of the Lifestyle Transformation Design major says: “We are creating jobs that have not been invented yet.” This can sound both discouraging and extremely inspiring and exciting. Therefore I can’t really tell, because profession lifestyler is so fluid and versatile. Everybody can choose their own path, which makes the course full of surprises and a lot of fun. During graduation, everybody displayed such different projects, strengths and qualities. These can be applied in so many different areas of work.
We are creating jobs that have not been invented yet
You never leave your house without…?
My earphones! I can not go a day without my music, I will just get super grumpy.
Any words of advice to future students?
Don’t pressure yourself too much and don’t compare yourself to other students all the time. In the end, it will always turn out fine and you will eventually find your own signature style. Don’t forget to have fun and to explore. Don’t be too serious! :)
You can basically do and learn anything you want at WdKA. It’s what you make of it.
Remember that any art experience is subjective, so don’t take things too personally. Sometimes teachers don’t agree with each other and they will try to guide you in many different directions, so do explore but always stick to your own gut feeling and find out which research methods work for you.
Also, listen to your fellow students' thoughts and ideas, these are valuable and helpful. They will also become your network in the future and it’s often through your connections that you will get some interesting jobs.
You can basically do and learn anything you want at WdKA. It’s what you make of it. Visit the Stations, even if it’s just for small personal projects!
Big Money Talk, a third-year project / Commercial Practices. Intrigued by the fact that companies like Google and Facebook make millions of dollars using our data, I wondered why we never see one cent in return for this valuable exchange.
Name your favourite recent project.
In between, which is my graduation project. I created an Instagram based on this project where I share all the new insights I gained during doing research for my thesis and combine it with inspiration, questions and design.
In between is a personal publication about home, belonging and identity from cross-cultural perspectives. A cross-cultural person has lived in — or and meaningfully interacted with two or more cultural environments for a significant period of time during their developmental years. The concept "cross-cultural" is an umbrella term for biracial, bicultural and multicultural children, but also for children of ex-pats, refugees, migrants and international adoptees (the term applies both to children who are now adults).
Future plans and hopes?..
Honestly, I don’t like planning out my life as much, because plans always turn out differently. I enjoy the stuff I am doing now, I keep on working and always learn something new in the process. The one thing I hope is that my project In between will reach a lot of people. I don’t have to be the most popular designer, as long as my work is meaningful to some people.
As a true lifestyle transformation designer, and as corny as it may sound, I also keep on transforming. I finally understand the quote above the academy’s entrance: “You have to change to stay the same”. Took me four years, but I get it now!
Visit Ambre's website to see her other projects
Header image: Rayos de Sol, A series on what home feels like in shapes and colours. Shot in Tenerife, Curacao, The Dominican Republic.
