Graphic designer Sam Corijn finds inspiration in UFOs flying over Belgium: 'Visualizing something that doesn't really have a form yet is interesting.'
UFOs in Lotenhulle
Sam Corijn works as a graphic designer, loves experimenting with techniques like risograph and screen printing, and builds clocks together with his father that encourage people to spend more time with each other. 'Many of my ideas come from my surroundings or from stories I pick up along the way,' he says. 'As a graphic designer, you often work on commission, but I also try to make time for personal projects. That’s a different process. With a commission, it’s clearer: someone wants something, and you find a form for it. When it comes from within, you have to consciously invest time. But in every project, I want to tell a story.'
That’s how he ended up exploring the UFO mystery of Lotenhulle for a school assignment. In 1955, Marin V. reportedly saw five flying saucers above the village. His story grew into a local legend and eventually even led to an official UFO monument - the very first in Belgium. 'I’m from Lotenhulle myself, near Aalter,' Corijn explains. 'In 2004, a UFO memorial stone was placed further down my street. As a kid, I always found that fascinating.'
A reconstruction made by drawings
For his publication, he pieced together the story using archive material, newspaper articles, and interviews. He combined these fragments with charcoal drawings that reconstruct scenes from the story. 'Reconstructing a story like this is what I love most. I don’t necessarily aim to invent new stories, but I enjoy illustrating existing ones,' he says. 'For Ongeveer Zo Iets, I worked with charcoal because it allows you to quickly create powerful images. The only visual material available from the original story were hand gestures by Marin, showing roughly how big or how far away something was. So my drawings are more based on the narrative itself. I find that interesting: visualizing something that doesn’t yet have a clear form.'
The publication reads like a dossier: a collection of documents explaining everything as completely as possible. 'It’s all in there, but not necessarily easy to read,' Sam admits. 'I deliberately left gaps in the text. As a reader, you have to reconstruct the story yourself and read what you want to read.'
Reconstructing a story like this is what I love most. I don’t necessarily aim to invent new stories, but I enjoy illustrating existing ones.
The story even took an unexpected turn. In late 2025, Marin V.’s family had the monument removed because they no longer wanted their name associated with the tale. 'But ironically, that only drew more attention to it,' Corijn says. 'After the monument was removed, my brothers and I scattered grass seeds on the empty spot. To our surprise, our playful action made it into the news.'
What started as a school assignment continues to follow Corijn. 'Recently, the UFO reporting center contacted me asking if they could buy a print,' he shares. 'It’s funny how a project like this keeps generating new stories, even years later.'
