GUIDO DE BOER - 5MM

ZINE · CP052 · 2024

Guido de Boer is a visual artist known for his large, freehand brush-and-ink creations that blend visual art and readable text. His rhythmic, handmade designs captivate with their hypnotic, graphic quality. As Graphic Design graduate from the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht, Guido teaches "Letters" at the Royal Academy of Art The Hague and has taught internationally in for example China, Russia, Spain, and Armenia, inspiring audiences and students alike.

Guido's 5-mm-grid notebooks expanding his comfort zone from the inside out. It’s a space where he draws without pressure-no need for greatness or fear of failure. Following simple rules-verticals and horizontals only-it becomes a meditative exercise, reflecting his thoughts, feelings, and growth. Each page mirrors a moment, like a walk or a quiet gaze at shadows. It’s both comforting and confronting, revealing critical thoughts about routine and creativity, yet he keeps drawing, expanding his comfort zone. These sketches balance contrasts-black and white, routine and spontaneity-reminding why he creates: to connect personal exploration with a wider, meaningful audience.

This 5mm zine is a warmup for Guido his dream project: a full-scale book of all his 5mm grid sketchbooks.