Marike is a South African illustrator and educator living in England. She is a senior illustration lecturer and the 2nd year Lead at the University for the Creative Arts, where she encourages exploration of illustration practice beyond traditional paradigms, as well as Afrocentric and decolonised knowledge-creation.
Marike obtained a MA in Visual Arts (Cum Laude) at Stellenbosch University, focusing on narrative illustration. Here she completed an (auto/bio) graphic novel about her childhood with her brother and their domestic worker, Mikie. This work laid the foundation for much of her later interests as illustrator and educator.
Marike works with a variety of mediums, from gouache to printmaking to digital illustration. Her work frequently takes the form of textured, monochrome or flat, colourful aesthetics.
Her work is informed by personal experiences and perspectives of the world. As a highly sensitive person (who is also on the spectrum), she often explores how humans experience the world and each other. She is also fascinated by trees, animals and nature in general, which drives most of her projects.
Marike is an idealist and wants to make a difference in the world. She therefore gets excited about collaborations with like-minded people.
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