Once studying Media and Entertainment Management in Leeuwarden, today Tim Tijink (29) is a graphic designer.
His creations can be found all over Groningen: for example @komoost and also Jonge Harten. This year, he created the campaign image for us with the theme Stay with the trouble.
A big inspiration for Tim is the booklet Saving Beauty by Byung-Chul Han, which argues that design mainly focuses on perfectionism and positivity, but that it can also be done differently. ”Design can be a bit more edgy,” Tim thinks. ”People quickly find positivity beautiful, but negativity makes you think.”
The link with the Jonge Harten theme is easily made. Not just focusing on the nice things in life, but dwelling on the imperfections. The challenges. ”Sometimes things go differently, it doesn’t always have to go well. Problems do exist: it’s good to be aware of them, to think about them,” he continues.
We don’t always have to hide imperfections, Tim thinks. You can see that in his designs. By using the style of graffiti, it is just that little bit different. Detached from frames. ”It’s raw, not too slick. Besides, graffiti is an art form that stands for youth and colouring outside the lines.”
Tim also thinks it’s important for young people to be heard. And Jonge Harten fulfils that need: giving youth a voice through theatre. By making everyday and hidden topics discussable. ”Theatre is an excellent tool for that,” Tim says. ”It makes problems public and therefore accessible. It gives young people an experience, makes them think and participate. The earlier you get in touch with that, the better.” 💛
Stay with the trouble