Great news! AFC Ajax and Prime Video & Amazon Studios approached me to create artwork for the documentary 'Parels van de Stad' (Pearls of the City)!
A great honor, of course, especially considering how Ajax handles their marketing. And a fantastic opportunity to showcase myself.
Unfortunately, they didn't choose me this time. They can't always be right ;-) But the design was already finished! So, to celebrate this beautiful moment, you can download the poster for free. The artwork is also available for purchase on canvas or plexiglass.
The artwork is available for purchase here
View other Amsterdam and Ajax art here!
Pearls of the City
Football club Ajax and Prime have jointly released the intimate documentary 'Parels van de Stad' (Pearls of the City). This impressive documentary tells the story of the 'three musketeers' Ryan Gravenberch, Devyne Rensch, and Jurriën Timber. These talented footballers were followed by cameras for a year as they strived to break through at Ajax. It offers a particularly intimate look, full of highlights, setbacks, talent, friendship, and perseverance.
Gravenberch, Rensch, and Timber all started their football careers at Ajax. They almost simultaneously secured a spot in Ajax 1, one of the most successful football clubs in the world. The documentary clearly shows what it takes to play football at the top level. It's a unique glimpse into a tough world where three young footballers try to conquer their place and become key players at Ajax.
Everything is covered, from great victories to setbacks and days when everything goes wrong. You see how the boys react to the fantastic match against Sporting Lisbon (4-2) in the Champions League group stage. But you also witness the disappointment when the pearls of the city lose the cup final against PSV and are dethroned 2-1.
For the making of the documentary 'Pearls of the City', the boys were filmed both on and off the field. This all-access documentary gives you a unique insight into the lives of these talented footballers and their work at Ajax.
The pearls of the city in focus
The documentary 'Pearls of the City' follows the three young footballers Devyne Rensch, Jurriën Timber, and Ryan Gravenberch. A short biography.
Devyne Rensch
The 19-year-old Devyne Rensch from Lelystad started playing football at an early age. In 2016, he joined the Ajax youth academy, where he won the Abdelhak Nouri Trophy in 2020. In the same year, he got a few minutes of play in the first team, but his real debut was in an Eredivisie match against Emmen on January 31, 2021. In that same year, Devyne also made his debut for the Dutch national team against Turkey.
Devyne has invested a lot in himself recently and is therefore sharp for the upcoming season. Moreover, he has his good friend and fellow pearl of the city, Jurriën Timber, as backup, which gives him a lot of confidence.
Jurriën Timber
At a young age, it was clear that Jurriën Timber had a lot of talent for football. At the age of six, he was admitted to the Feyenoord academy. He played there until 2014 when he, together with his twin brother Quinten, moved to Ajax. From 2020, Timber has been a regular in Ajax 1. In 2021, he was named Talent of the Year and Player of the Year, an achievement that left him speechless at the time. Timber also won the U17 European Championship in 2018 and secured a spot in the Dutch national team in 2021.
This pearl of the city's contract runs until at least 2025, so we can expect a lot from him.
Ryan Gravenberch
Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch is a true Amsterdammer who joined Ajax's youth academy in 2010. On September 23, 2018, he made his debut for Ajax's first team against PSV as a substitute. He was only 16 years old then. The day after, he played a full match against HVV Te Werve and scored the last goal of the day. This makes him Ajax's youngest ever goalscorer.
After two seasons with Ajax's first team, he transferred to Bayern Munich in July 2022. This football club paid no less than 18.5 million euros for him.
Hans Breukers & the Pearls of the City
Ajax and Prime asked Hans to create artwork for 'Pearls of the City'. Unfortunately, his work was not chosen, but because Hans is a true Ajax fan, he decided to create it anyway. You can now buy Pearls of the City in the webshop.
Hans has been an Ajax fan for as long as he can remember. It was instilled in him from an early age, as Hans's father was also an Ajax fan. His great idol, how could it be otherwise, is number 14 Johan Cruijff. Hans identifies with him because, like him, he was a bit of a street urchin and a wheeler-dealer.
Hans regularly creates artworks about Ajax, because nothing is better than combining your creativity and your favorite football club. Hans also has a fondness for the city of Amsterdam, and this is also reflected in his images. In many of his works, he incorporates the Ajax logo, but Johan Cruijff, Dušan Tadić, and Brian Brobbey also feature in his work. View all of Hans's Ajax works here.