Education

Graphic- & Typographic Design
Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, The Netherlands

— Nominated for the 2006 Art Olive-Young Talent Award (Jong Talent 2006) annual awards for most promising recent graduates from leading Dutch art academies.
— Nominated for Zuid-Hollandse VormgevingsPrijs 2006, awards for graduates from the province of South Holland.


Scholarship / Internship

— Delta Beurs 2006 (DELTA Scholarship Programme)
— Wang Xu & Associates (WX-Design) China, 2005.


Industry Experience

— Co-owner: 250 gramm China / The Netherlands
— Independent Graphic Designer, China (2006–present)
— Freelance Designer, WX-Design, China. (2005–2009)
— Art Director, YU+Co, Hong Kong, China (2009)
— Associate TH–NL Architects (2006–2011)

Exhibitions / Recognitions

— Edits, Central Station Amsterdam, 2011
— Neue ShowUsYourType, La Galería Cosmo
Barcelona - Spain, 2010.
— Anti-Design Festival (London Design Festival) 2010.
— 20th International Poster and Graphic Design Festival of Chaumont - France, 2009. (Festival International de l'Affiche et du Graphisme de Chaumont)
— HongKong Business of Design Week, 2008.
— The 3rd International Poster Biennial, China 2007.

Press & Publications

— 2012 Vouwblad Monospace Collection, curated by Wim Crouwel published by Lenoirschuring.
— Typodarium 2012 by Slanted, Germany 2011.
— Communication Arts Magazine, #March/April, USA 2011.
— Graphic Design 3, by Zeixs, Germany 2011.
— Common Interest, by Index Book, Barcelona 2010.
— Etapes Magazine, Espana, #Dec. Spain 2009.
— Worldwide Graphic Design: Asia, by Zeixs & Feierabend Unique Books, Germany 2009.
— Etapes Magazine #174 France 2009.
— FPO (For Print Only) by UnderConsideration, USA 2009.
— Catalogue: 20th Int. Chaumont Festival 2009.
— Graphic Design Inspirations II, by Slanted Magazine, published by DAAB publishing, Germany 2008.
— Catalogue: The 3rd Int. Poster Biennial, China 2007

Selected Online Resources

— Fresh Profile, Communication Arts Magazine
— Q & A, Creative Cities Amsterdam Area [Dutch]
— FPO (For Print Only): Nakajima Monograph
— Company Profile on CCAA Website
— Article on Geotypografika.com
— Saatchi Gallery Online [collages]

"Sino-Dutch graphic explorer and contemporary Marco Polo."
"…A true explorer in every sense of the word, Nivard is currently working in Guangzhou after having first founded his ambitious "sweatshop"/studio in Hong Kong in 2006. His work is an inspired blend of Dutch and Chinese influences, encompassing an exhaustive breadth of application both in Holland and in China."
"…A graduate of the venerable Royal Academy of Art in the Netherlands in 2006, Nivard set out on his move to Hong Kong and quickly established himself through an intricate blending of Sino-Dutch formal languages."
"…His example should be an inspiration to students and practitioners who may be considering ways to engage in a greater world of graphic opportunity."


Quote by: Erik Brandt, Geotypografika, AGI Member,
Design educator at MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design) 07.2011 • USA

"Nivard Thoes: A graphic designer who combines type and color to great effect."
"…Operating under unbearably poor conditions with a nocturnal manual work flow, daylight and sleep deprived, surrounded by loud, bombastic music, consuming moonshine and nicotine, instant noodles and unlimited fresh strong coffee. Preferably once a year, Nivard’s nomadic "Graphic Design Sweatshop" relocates to the (even more secluded) Mediterranean island of Kythira in southern Greece to work on self-initiated projects."


Quote by: Communication Arts Magazine, Issue March/April • USA

"This front-to-back, back-to-front monograph for Japanese designer Hideki Nakajima is a behemoth in both size and production values. I can’t even imagine what the process it must have taken to bind 1,400-plus pages and what’s even greater is that it still achieves a sense of softness and delicacy that in perfect-bound or Smythe sewn form would have probably looked like a boring encyclopedia. Designer Nivard Thoes explains: "The bilingual book is divided into ten categories and can be read from back to front and vice versa - the book has no front or back." By looking at just the images you don’t get to see the transparent pages right away, but once it’s pointed out the effect is subtle. Nice to see a collaboration between two designers (Nakajima and Thoes) work out so well."


Quote by: Armin Vit, FPO (For Print Only) by Underconsideration. 04.2009 • USA

"Nivard Thoes & Ma Yan Jun - Apple Polisher Sweatshop (inspired by de Appel)

Approximately 260,000 travelers pass through the Central Station of Amsterdam on a daily basis. Now imagine this; your artwork on display at one of the busiest locations in the city… It becomes reality for 8 talented designers during the exhibition Edits. For one year their work will be displayed around the Central Station."


Quote by: EDITS / BLEND Magazine. 05.2011 • THE NETHERLANDS

"Fibres Typographiques"; En coopération avec THNL Architectes, le graphiste Nivard Thoes contribue à la rénovation de l'hôtel de ville d'Alkmaar, ville des Pays-Bas. La tonalité dégagée à travers la famille typographique Highfibre Polygon et la série de motifs recouvrant le tapis de la chambre des conseils réactualise l'histoire du lieu et trouve son équilibre entre épure des formes contemporaines et graphies élaborées du Moyen Âge. L'alphabet, et ses multiples versions, emprunte à la diversité stylistique des blackletter et introduit la forme polygonale, pont graphique entre le trace anguleux de la gothique et une géométrie moderne. Nivard Thoes a travaille à partir du manuscrit de la charte communale, écrit au XIVe siècle, dont les 62 "commandements" sont destinés à êtres inscrits en Highfibre Polygon sur le murs du bâtiment rénové."


Quote by: Caroline Bouige Étapes Magazine: Design et Culture Visuelle #174. NOV.01.2009 • FRANCE

"Based in China, Dutch graphic designer Nivard Thoes has an absolutely incredible body of work on his site. This site makes me light-headed with joy. Yes, joy."


Quote by: Michael Lassiter / Labor and Curse.com Design blog by Michael Lassiter. MAY.14.2009 • North Carolina USA