Say Yes When You Want To Say No is an artwork that includes a series of paintings and short videos. The paintings are a result of the interaction between my obsessive perfectionism and searching for ways to oppose it. I used several experiments in the painting process to free myself from that obsessiveness in such a way that it broadened my perspective and to achieve that piece of mind. Each painting is build onto moments of these definitive decisions and doubts. Say Yes When You Want To Say No is one large artwork, in which every painting has its own story and is told through a couple of short videos.
For the introduction of Glenfiddich’s newest Whisky flavours in Amsterdam, I was commissioned to create an experience during a tasting session. The audience could taste Glenfiddich’s Experimental Series in several chambers. To complement this experience I created an enclosed space covered by painting “If You Can’t Be Good, Be Weird #1”.
Located in the heart of Amsterdam, lies De Tandwielenfabriek (an old sprocket factory). This industrial complex was given a new purpose for housing in 2015. For one of the twelve houses I created a wall painting. In which I gave new value to elements from the designated location.
The exploration in my own painting process, also extends to my artistic practice and position as an artist. I react to contradictions I come across in daily life in such a way that it can broaden my perspective and that of the viewer. For the series Notes To Myself, I used the painting as an object and I placed it opposite of printed media. As a reaction to a question that continuously keeps bothering me: “Why museums are allowed to commercially market their artists, but when an artist makes prints of his paintings it’s not done”. By using a digital canvas I printed the series on museum quality art paper in a limited edition of 50 art prints. The artwork on paper shows every brushstroke, just as the original painting, but due to the material, size and technique it gets a totally different experience.
If You Can’t Be Good, Be Weird consists out of four paintings in which I continued to explore the tension of control and experiment in painting. I deliberately used tape in the first layer, because of the risk that paint would slide underneath.
For Amsterdam’s finest advertising agency Buutvrij for life, I created a wallpainting that brought the facade to a higher level, while maintaining the values of this historic building. To enhance the wall structure I painted directly onto the brick stones, leaving the traditional structure visible.
Painting #18 is a commissioned artwork using paint-dripping acrylics to create an expressionistic variation to my other paintings. For the first time I started working with drippings in the first layer as another way of losing control against my perfectionism.
Notes To Myself marks the first series of paintings in which I started exploring with the boundaries of my obsessive perfectionism. The idea was to start with a specific color combination in a triangle pattern and gradually change the appearance. Each painting evolved out of a dynamic process from the beginning to the end. Each added layer gave rise to the intensity of the colours and created new levels of depth. By painting layer upon layer and intuitively adjusting the pattern and colours, each artwork resulted in an interaction between perfection and imperfection.
After waiting for 8 years, Amsterdam’s leading hair salon Tommy’z Toko finally got permission from the municipality, to renew its façade. Owner Tommy Hagen asked me to take on the challenging design. Together with ‘De Baarsjes’ neighborhood I created multiple designs and the one you see above came out as the final decision.
The first offline presentation of No Rest For The Obsessed (NRFTO) at the Public_ Showroom. A showcase of my latest artworks, a wallpainting and a selection of their showroom collection.
Digital Prints is a series of limited edition geometric prints on high quality paper that I created autonomously and for several commissions, such as Lomography and Teva. By extending my signature painting style of adding layers, I transformed this technique digitally designed prints.
A selection of paintings from 2008 till 2014 ranging from autonomous to commissioned work. A huge variety in sizes from small watercolor painting to bigger paintings in egg-tempera.
A selection of T-shirt collections from 2008 till 2011 ranging from autonomous projects to commissioned designs.
I created this geometric wall painting with a combination of the famous Chinese Tangram Puzzle and the colors of his ‘The World Is Yours’ painting. Selected by the Keep an Eye Foundation in collaboration with the Sandberg Instituut for Artpie 2010.
For the exhibition ‘Zàijiàn Yixing’ I created We Are All In This Together in a pottery factory in China during a two month residency. 81 Ceramics are divided into five colors times sixteen objects, which leaves one unglazed. The installation is never the same and will always have a different pattern.
