After graduating in 2008 from Eindhoven’s Design Academy, he began using his, now signature, wet-on-wet painting technique: watercolours running over wet board, causing colours to blend and lines to blur. The end result is uncertain - an untameable process, allowing the artwork to take its own form.

"I wanted to free these trapped animals, to let them roam free in my drawings." - Rop van Mierlo

Van Mierlo’s process often starts with drawing or painting, before experimenting with various media including animation, textiles and publishing. He has collaborated with major names across fashion, culture and music, including Moncler, Hermès, and Harvey Nichols. Rop also self-initiated a political poster campaign, advocating animal rights and sustainability. In 2020 he launched ‘Wild Animals (W.A.)’, a product label based on his free-spirited series.