Gifts beyond the ordinary
Celebrate passion. Celebrate ambition. Celebrate love.
The Story Behind Custom Ode
For many years, I worked as a creative director for Dutch festivals and in the vibrant world of nightlife. That’s where my first company was born: De Nachtvlinders — The Nocturnal Butterflies.
Later, as my work shifted away from nightlife, I let go of that name. I created Fountain of Ideas — a studio for concepts and beauty in motion. Around that time, something unexpected happened:
I went on a date and after dinner, he asked me:
“If you could go anywhere tomorrow, where would you go?”
And I said, “There’s this tea I once bought in Montmartre... I’d love to go back and get it.”
So we drove to Paris the next day.
And there, hidden in the 7th arrondissement, we stumbled into Deyrolle — a poetic antique shop filled with butterflies, bones, and botanical wonders.
On the top floor, I saw it.
A beautiful butterfly, and in that moment I had a vision:
A butterfly, coming out of a Pilot fineliner.
When I got home, I knew I had to bring that vision to life.
It became an ode — to the world of De Nachtvlinders, and everything it had taught me.
But it also marked a new phase: a quiet goodbye, and the start of something unknown.
That piece was the first thing I ever made that wasn’t a commission.
It was personal. Pure. A seed.
And that seed became Custom Ode.
Now, over 33 Odes later, the journey continues — more personal, more intuitive, more alive than ever.
I create Odes to honour what matters most:
your story, your vision, your emotional world — translated into a work of art.
I’m so excited to see what comes next.
My first Ode. An Ode to the concepts I wrote for my company ‘De Nachtvlinders'.
The place where I found the butterfly, that became the beginning of Custom Ode. A hidden little gem called Deyrolle on the top floor of a magical shop in the 7th district of Paris.
how i work
Exhibitions.
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When I just started Custom Ode, I got invited to take part in Art Festival Heusden. The theme was "HEAD" and I made a self portrait and a collection of smaller metal wire portraits.
They gave me my own little windmill, for the whole weekend, and I filled two floors with my work.
My self portrait:
https://www.customodes.com/customode/my-life-under-the-loupe
The Art Festival:
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Bunker Exhibition No 46.
The Shadow Has Two Faces.
July 8th till July 24 ‘22.
I took visitors on a trip through my life. Past and present and showed them how I became me. From being born a Jehovahs Witness to breaking free, discovering the world and my place in it.
I filled three rooms in a World War II bunker, hidden in a lovely rose garden in the Westbroekpark of The Hague.
https://www.customodes.com/customode/bunker-exhibition-no-46
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Artist Casper Strietman showcased his series on the missing nightlife culture in Amsterdam clubs
Artist Casper Strietman showcased his series on the missing nightlife culture in Amsterdam clubs during Covid at Singel 84 in Amsterdam
Artist Casper Strietman showcased his series on the missing nightlife culture in Amsterdam clubs during Covid at Singel 84 in Amsterdam. I was invited to display my portraits, resulting in a
Artist Casper Strietman showcased his series on the missing nightlife culture in Amsterdam clubs during Covid at Singel 84 in Amsterdam. I was invited to display my portraits, resulting in a blend of dynamism and calm
Artist Casper Strietman showcased his series on the missing nightlife culture in Amsterdam clubs during Covid at Singel 84 in Amsterdam. I was invited to display my portraits, resulting in a blend of dynamism and calmness.
Duration: 1 month
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Pop-up gallery in de Pijp, Amsterdam, with artists '' Marc Amsterdam' and 'Nathalie Soetens'.
Duration: 1 week
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All items are made by hand and I assemble them in my studio in Amsterdam. The tailored odes are a combination of found treasures and handcrafted tokens by either myself or local and experienced artisans. All this to perfectly translate your stories or memories into timeless contemporary art pieces.