Jimmy, Tim, Alex,
King Sven, Rainbow Remi, Jimmy 8
About Jimmy
I am Jimmy Groen (1962, he/him, they/them, non-binary, boygender, plural), a self-taught artist working from my home studio in Gulpen-Wittem, the Netherlands. I am the illustrator of the work of Dutch poet Lennart Willems and written under the pseudonym Jasper Heijting. Since 1992, my work has developed through the transformation of 'unfinished memories' into visual art. I have explored a wide range of materials and techniques, varying from watercolor and ink to mono prints, oil paint, acrylic, gouache, experimental glass printing, and filmmaking. My current techniques include oil pastels, watercolor, and mixed media.
Recent work stems directly from the Realm of Boys, where four out of our seven equal co-identities—Tim, Alex, King Sven, and Rainbow Remi—create unique, defiant works where age and fluid identity converge. The process of collaborating as co-identities is a pure joy, as we never know what the outcome will be. It is my task to weave the tangle of circles, objects, and lines that appear on the paper into a single, cohesive work of art—all the while guided by our creative facilitator, Jimmy-Eight.
For us, our collaborative work is the ultimate victory over the systematic suppression and erasure of our gender, creativity, and existence during our childhood in the Dutch youth care system. In addition, a counter-archive of approximately 600 artworks has been published on this website, serving as a visual testimony to the Dutch government's policy of erasure and marginalization of the voiceless. Since April 2026, this website has been archived as digital heritage by the National Library of the Netherlands.
About Tim
Tim (2015, he/him, 3 years old, تيم) has been creating artwork since 2021, drawing from his world of flowers, insects, toy figures, and beloved stuffed animals. Tim truly loves drawing with his crayons. Contributing from his memory, he participates in projects like 'Tim draws back' and 'Unseen diversity'. He calls himself the 'Protector of all insects' and dedicates himself to drawing and rescuing these little creatures. Tim's favorite animal is a cat, and he loves flowers—especially daisies and red roses. His favorite food is semolina pudding.
About Alex
Alex (2016, he/him, 3 and 7 or 8 years old, أليكس) has been creating artwork since 2021 from his deeply layered world. He is especially interested in vehicles, knights, toy tools, and exploring nature. His favorite animal is a sheep, and when he grows up, he wants to become an astronaut.
In his artistic work, Alex primarily creates bold outlines in oil pastels. Highly expressive, he draws directly from physical memories and a world of dark shadows, masterfully transforming them into portraits, figures, images of imaginary machines, and brave knights. His favorite food is Belgian fries.
About King Sven (الملك سفين الثاني)
King Sven (2025, he/him, 2 years old) started creating in 2025. He makes raw scratches on paper, capturing the very 'spirit of creativity,' which Jimmy then shapes into defined figures. The lines he produces are pure and honest—born out of pure expression without any preconceived meaning. He makes us wonder if expression always requires a purpose, or if it can be 'just there for joy.' Ultimately, his scratches are interpreted by others as the Ultimate Protective Lines. He also contributes to the XL-drawings in the series “We is what we are.” Our King holds very special early childhood memories. King Sven loves to play with toy cars alongside Alex. His favorite food is pancakes with peanut butter.
About Rainbow Remi
Rainbow Remi (2026, he/him, 2 years old) makes his first scratches in the form of perfect circles, which are often colored in by Jimmy. As Rainbow Remi, he holds a very special position, surpassing the traditional pride rainbow. While a standard rainbow is only a half-circle—symbolically excluding those whose diverse identities make them feel unwelcome or not 'born that way'—Remi's Circles of Hope stand for radical, absolute inclusion, leaving no one behind.
Upon being introduced to the studio alongside Tim and Alex, he immediately wanted to draw. Our little rainbow also contributes to the XL-drawings in the series “We is what we are” as a powerful sign of pride. His favorite food is multi-colored candy.
About Jimmy 8
Jimmy-Eight (1970/2004, he/him, 8 years old, also known as "Jimmy 8") is a vital boy-identity who guides the entire creative process. Operating from the background, he is the leader of the creative group, including the 'adult' Jimmy, laying out the strategic plan and determining the purpose of our actions.
As the King of the French-Netherlands, he has remained unchanged since 1970. He now works closely with Alex, who immediately channels his own creativity toward Jimmy-Eight’s goals. Jimmy-Eight's favorite food is chocolate mousse.
Read more about them in the Realm of Boys
INTERNAL LINKS
ILLUSTRATIONS POETRY OF LENNART WILLEMS
Jimmy Groen | 2021- present
Drawings created by Jimmy in dialogue with the poetry of his friend, the poet Lennart Willems: outsider‑leaning, intuitive and close to the marginalized.
REALMS OF THE UNSEEN
Jimmy Groen | 2019- 2025
Trauma art counter-archive: about 600 raw works, created both as a way of processing and as a testimony to 17 years of institutional abuse and extreme police violence in the Netherlands.
THE SUFFERING OF THE TREES
Jimmy Groen | 2023
To show my deep concern about the human impact on nature, I endorsed the #treetoomanifesto and made a series of about 40 drawings in ink and pastel of unnaturally discolored leaves.
DESTROYED WORK
Jimmy Groen | 1992-2018
Images of random work from collections of work destroyed in 2002 and 2018
EXHIBITIONS
2026 Pasaasj group expo Schunck Museum Glaspaleis, Heerlen (NL)
2025 SoHo galleri, online gallery Västerås (S)
2024 Anita Fleerackers Gallery, group exhibition featuring Tim and Alex, Gierle (B)
2023 Verbeelding group exhibition of the joint art studio Fantastikè Town Hall, Beek (NL)
2022 All‑In event BFF#13 organized by Fantastikè, featuring Tim and Alex, Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht (NL)
2022 On the Edge duo exhibition with Jo Coort by Fantastikè, Cultural Stage Lutherse Kerk, Maastricht (NL)
2021 Fantastikè atelier Group exhibition, Maastricht (NL)