The designer and sculptor Oliver Helfrich (1975) worked for several major Dutch design companies before
he started his design office for books, newspapers and other dead media. His work is exploring the borders
between analogue and digital processes as well as the correlation between design and crafts. By means of
abstraction he transforms seemingly everyday objects into odd, though strangely familiar 'things', the relicts
of an alternate reality. Oliver is teaching Graphic Design at the Willem de Kooning academy in Rotterdam.


Teaching
2009 – teacher visual communication, Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam


Working Experience
2D
2008 - 2009 – senior designer/art director at Solar Initiative, Amsterdam
2007 - 2008 – senior designer at Koeweiden Postma, Amsterdam
2004 - 2007 – designer at Studio Dumbar, Rotterdam
2003 - 2004 – freelance for Toko Graphic Design, Shop Around, Rotterdam
3D
2002 – exhibition designer at HG Merz Architects, Stuttgart/Berlin
1999 – stage designer and sculptor at Badisches Staatstheater, Karlsruhe
1996 - 1999 – sculptor at Picard Sculpture and Stone Masonry


References
AkzoNobel, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Art Aids, Arup, ASVZ, CBK Dordrecht, Cokkie Snoei Gallery,
C, omroep voor kunst en cultuur, De Doelen, De Bijenkorf, Design.nl, Items Magazine,
Four Weeks of Freedesigndom, Han Nefkens, Hema, Hella Jongerius / Jongeriuslab, KPN,
Ministerie van Algemene Zaken, Ministerie van Economische Zaken, De Pastoefabriek,
Search Architects, Stichting Premsela, TNT Post


Awards & Nominations
2011 – D&AD Award (In Book), project: The Book of Paper, category: book design
2009 – Red Dot Design Award, client: FreeDesigndom, category: identity
2009 – European Design Award (Bronze), client: FreeDesigndom, category: identity
2009 – European Design Award (Bronze), client: ASVZ, category: identity
2008 – Red Dot Design Award, client: Hella Jongerius, category: identity
2008 – European Design Award, client: C, omroep voor kunst en cultuur, category: identity
2007 – Red Dot Design Award, client: C, omroep voor kunst en cultuur, category: identity
2007 – European Design Award, client: Amsterdam Sinfonietta, category: posters
2006 – Red Dot Grand Prix, client: Amsterdam Sinfonietta, category: posters
2006 – Red Dot Design Award, client: ArtAids, category: identity
2006 – Dutch Design Award (Nomination), client: Amsterdam Sinfonietta, category: posters
2006 – Dutch Design Award (Nomination), client: ArtAids, category: identity
2005 – Red Dot Design Award (with S. Hwang en D. Koot), client: Items, category: magazine
2003 – Items-Spinhex Prijs (Nomination), Graduation project “For You”