I come from a lineage of shoemakers spanning over 100 years. Growing up in my parents' shoe store, it felt like I was born in a shoebox. My father would sketch shoes to keep track of his orders, and these drawings captivated me, sparking my passion for art.

After years in the family shoe trade — and a stint as a self-taught color expert building my own shoe brand — I sold the business and apprenticed at a tattoo shop. That decision rekindled my artistic freedom and led to the creation of DUTCH BANDIT: tattoos, paintings, illustrations and 3D objects.

My work blends traditional tattoos, vintage comic styles and surrealistic expressions — what I call raw vintage pop art. A signature figure is Mr. Boomer: a character with a television for a head, symbolizing society's reliance on media. I also create XXL Collectables, artworks packaged like vintage action figures, each telling a unique story.

As children, we create entire universes from a handful of toys. We invent heroes, villains, adventures, and endings. We become writers, directors, and storytellers without even realizing it.

My creations are an extension of that same instinct.

Every figure starts with a story living inside my head. Rather than finding a toy to fit the narrative, I create the toy that belongs to it.

These pieces are more than objects; they are characters from worlds that exist somewhere between imagination and reality.

Maybe that's why I make them.

Because a part of me is still that kid, sitting on the floor, building stories one toy at a time.