Marieke ten Berge
Marieke is an awarded illustrator and graphic artist based in the Netherlands. She spends a large part of the year in Norway and travels annually to the Arctic to research subjects,landscapes and animals for her books and art.
She has completed several residencies on Spitsbergen, the most remarkable of which involved sailing around Spitsbergen.
Along with a group of artists in various disciplines, Marieke immersed herself in the magical landscapes and colors of the Arctic.
During these residencies, she made many sketches and studies and even took a small, travel-sized printing press with her to produce prints on location.
Marieke combines her passion for the polar regions with graphic work for various purposes. She creates numerous studies on the development and change of ice, captures the contours of the landscape, and continues to draw inspiration from the beautiful colours of the Arctic. Animals are also an important subject because of her work as an non-fiction illustrator.
Marieke also creates extensive applied art for clients such as the Svalbard Museum, and her work is available for purchase at various museum shops.
In the non-fiction book "North," which was translated into 11 languages, she portrays 35 animals in linoprint from the arctic region, followed by "South," about Antarctica.
The picture book "Rana," about a small arctic fox who gets lost in the polar night, is based on Svalbard. If you know the landscape there, you'll recognize much of it in the book.
Back in the Netherlands, she continues to develop her graphic projects in her studio, located in the Dutch countryside. It's a wonderful bright studio in a former farmhouse, surrounded by fields and trees.
At the center of the studio is a large etching press where she creates most of her work. Although she loves this place, there is always a deep desire to explore and see new worlds.
