The many colours of Rotterdam, through the eyes of From Form

"With little sense of the city's character, we both moved to Rotterdam in 2007 as ambitious 20-somethings to begin our studies at the Willem de Kooning Art Academy. At the time, the harbour city was often painted as grey, raw and unpolished - especially when compared to the postcard-ready canals and 16th-century streets of its sister capital. A stigma that often overlooked the fact that the city had been almost completely destroyed during the WWII bombings and redefined its own visual character during its decades-long reconstruction."

"And yes, it may have felt like that from time to time as young art students, feeling lost between its concrete high-rises, windswept bridges and stark architecture. But over the years, that impression began to shift as we not only discovered ourselves as artists over durum and kapsalon, but also started to uncover the city's true character. A buzzing nightlife, numerous museums and art galleries, world-renowned architecture, and a home to over 170 nationalities, Rotterdam can rightly be called a colourful city in every sense of the word."

"Almost two decades later, we're still here. Still living (recently as a family of three), still working, and glad that we stayed long enough to see how much the city pulses with life. Since starting our studio From Form in 2012, we've had the chance to meet countless talented designers, artists, illustrators, and filmmakers. With many of them we share the same obsession over colour. And some even bring colour quite literally to the city, through bags, murals, sculptures, or spatial designs."

Two creatives moved to Rotterdam in 2007 to study at the Willem de Kooning Art Academy and experienced an evolving urban identity. The city was long seen as grey and raw after near-total WWII destruction and postwar reconstruction, but it developed a distinctive visual character. Over time the city revealed vibrant nightlife, museums, galleries, celebrated architecture, and a population from over 170 nationalities. The founders established studio From Form in 2012 and connected with designers, artists, illustrators, and filmmakers who prioritize colour. Colour appears across the city in murals, sculptures, bags, and spatial designs.

Read at Itsnicethat