Normally, we keep our merchandise designs a secret until just before the Castlefest gates open. But this year, we’re making an exception for our limited design. In this blog, we’d love to tell you more about the design and its creator, someone who holds a very special place in our hearts.
Every year, our creative merchandise team gathers to brainstorm the designs for the next edition. We think about our regular merch, special extras, and of course, the limited design. One of the questions we always ask ourselves is: which artist should we invite this year to create something truly unique for this special edition?
As always, we keep track of artists we encounter throughout the year, at conventions, online, or even at small local markets. But this year, we made a different choice. In 2025, we celebrate the 20th edition of Castlefest: a special milestone, and one that calls for a very special designer. Someone whose work not only reflects the magic of Castlefest, but also honours the past 20 years.
There is one artist from Castlefest’s early days who has a very special place in our hearts. If you’ve been visiting Castlefest for a while, you may have heard of him: Martin Jansen.
We’ve written about Martin before in our blogs about Lugh and Twoia, the unique sculptures that greet you every year at the festival. In the early days of Castlefest, Martin walked beside us and was the creative force behind some of our most iconic elements. He designed the Wicker figures for 2010, 2011, and 2012.Together with his sister Irma, Martin played a vital role in shaping Castlefest’s identity. Their work was rooted in wonder, beauty, and respect, values we hold close to our hearts as well.
In 2015, Martin left this world for the next. That makes us all the more grateful that his presence still lives on at Castlefest through Lugh and Twoia. Outside of Castlefest, Martin and Irma created beautiful art through Atelier Pygmalion. Perhaps you even have one of their pieces at home, a sculpture, a drawing, or a piece of jewellery. In these creations too, Martin’s magic lives on.
And now, we’re adding something new to that legacy. Martin’s art aligns perfectly with the spirit of Castlefest, and we honestly couldn’t imagine a more fitting artist to create the limited design for our anniversary edition. Though Martin has not walked among us for ten years, we’re bringing him with us to celebrate 20 years of Castlefest. With the help of his sister Irma, we gained access to Martin’s art archive, and from it we selected the limited design for 2025: A Better Place.
All of Martin’s drawings carry something special, but this one truly stood out. Martin wrote the following about it himself:
“Don't we all know that feeling of longing to be some place else. Some place nice with not a worry in the world. New opportunities and possibilities. This mermaid is dreaming of such a place. She envisions the things she longs for in the ball resting in her hands. Our dreams are like that ball, turned by our fingertips reflecting all our wishes. The mermaid is drifting steadily in the water kept in balance by the unconscious movement of her tail. The water is familiar it's the place where she was born and this enables her to float so freely. A wonderful and safe place to dream.”
Martin had an extraordinary gift for capturing deep emotion in his art. That longing for another place is something many of us feel when we’re at Castlefest. It is our escape, a place where worries fade away.
For 20 editions, Castlefest has been a home: a place to dream, a place to feel safe, a place to celebrate together.
And Martin Jansen is undoubtedly part of that. In spirit, from the next world.
Thank you, Martin.
