Mathijs Dubbeldam - LEGO Master / Builder / Artist
Hello!
My name is Mathijs Dubbeldam.
Welcome to my portfolio website! Here you can get a general idea of who I am and the things I make.
About me
I'm a 27-year-old LEGO artist and enthusiast living in Hoek, Zeeland, the Netherlands. I make things with LEGO, know the hobby through and through, and have more than 20 years of building experience under my belt. I enjoy making detailed buildings, places and characters, at varying scales. Building for me is a way to explore designs, turn worlds from my imagination into physical reality, or to pay hommage to franchises that I like. It's the joy of creating something beautiful, authentically mine and tangible. And in the digital age, it's a great way to escape the screen for a while.
My life is more than bricks, but there are many more things I do that revolve around LEGO. Such as gathering reference material, concept sketching, story writing, photographing, social media promotion and exhibiting my works at LEGO events.
LEGO aside, I play badminton, enjoy cycling (in good weather!) and mountain hiking, listen to various kinds of music, watch anime and like learning about all kinds of topics. I am never bored!
Education
2015 - 2023
Bachelor of Science (HBO) Watermanagement
HZ University of Applied Sciences
A study focused on water quality, water quantity and ecology. Some theoretical courses included Ecological Engineering, Water Treatment, Fluid Dynamics, Water System Analysis and Fundamentals of Sustainable Development. Computer courses included GIS, AutoCAD and Sobek. Practical assignments included taking samples in the field, determining species and analyzing samples in the lab and determining water quality.
My subjects of choice were Urban Watermanagement and Dredging & Ecology.
I did my internship at the research group Aquaculture within the university. Activities included setting up and managing a field experiment, and monitoring.
In my graduation thesis "Vismigratiemogelijkheden in Rammegors" I investigated possibilities for fish migration in a natural area in Zeeland, in collaboration with a fellow graduate student. This involved doing field visits, conducting interviews with experts and stakeholders, desk research, and drafting different spatial and and technical scenarios to allow for fish migration in the area.
Sep. 2020 - Feb. 2021
Minor
Design 360°
Fontys Academy for the Creative Industry
2009-2015
VWO diploma
profile NG + geography
SSG De Rede
Dutch pre-university education. My best subjects, with scores of 80% or higher, were geography, French and my PWS (profile project) , about how magma composition affects volcanic landscapes.
Build history
I've been building with LEGO since elementary school. Initially I was a fan of LEGO City and Technic, but then more imaginative story-driven themes took hold of me. First Bionicle, then Star Wars and Ninjago. I made my own creations (MOCs) and played together with friends. During secondary school however my friends stopped building and playing, but I continued. I kept my hobby a secret from my new friends and classmates out of fear of becoming a social outcast. That's when I discovered the online LEGO community. In 2015 I started connecting with other LEGO creators, on Flickr and the international forum Eurobricks. I found particular refuge in a subforum called "Guilds of Historica", a microcosm of people building and writing stories in a shared fantasy world, competing in contests, and giving eachother feedback on their builds.
In November 2016, through Eurobricks, I ended up exhibiting my builds at an event (Brickmania Antwerp) for the first time. Suddenly, I could share my passion with people in real life. A game-changer! I've been exhibiting at LEGO events ever since, in the Netherlands, Belgium, and even Germany and Denmark. I started taking pride in my hobby and stopped hiding it from people around me. I became a better builder, and a more confident person.
2017 hit hard. I had no idea where I was going academically. However, LEGO as my outlet and safe haven kept me on my feet. I was building like never before and gained recognition for it too.
A whole new chapter began in 2022, when I participated in popular tv show LEGO Masters (NL-BE) with my friend Jaap Bijl. When we entered the semi-finals, I became local news! I had officially put myself on the map in Zeeland as a LEGO builder/artist. Exciting local LEGO adventures followed, such as being a judge in build contests organized by the ZB (library) and my first commissioned build: a scale model of city hall of Terneuzen, with professional build timelapse and an official unveiling ceremony!
