PAINTER. AMSTERDAM. THE NETHERLANS.
Heraclitus van Efeze once said Panta rhei, ouden menei, It roughly translates to, “everything flows, and nothing stays.” I live by this. Everything is periodic here to teach us a lesson from people to situations. I strongly feel lows and ride the highs like a blue butterfly this can be really exhausting but knowing things are periodic makes everything liveable.
When I was younger, I was obsessed with tiles and mosaic. You know the ones that you would lay out on the table into different patterns? Or the ones you can find in mosques and synagogues. That was my thing. I could sit there for hours building weird compositions and patterns, analyzing and trying to beat the logic behind it. I constantly tried to re-frame and re-interpret with different disciplines from materials, techniques and expressions and to find new of presenting. I bought myself a book on geometrical patterns in art and a compass and started drawing.
I learned about the flower of life. The Flower of Life is created by placing seven circles in an overlapping symmetry, called the rosette. Perfect in its shape, proportion and harmony, the Flower of Life is considered a sacred geometry with ancient religious value that depicts the fundamental forms of space and time. By definition the Flower of Life symbolizes creation and reminds us of the unity of everything: we are all built from the same blueprint. To me the Flower of Life symbolizes a visual connection expressing the life that runs through all living things. The Flower of Life has given a deep spiritual meaning and forms of enlightenment too many, including myself, and therefore has a central place in my work.
My practice started as a way of expressing purely for myself. It started creating dreams in my head and I’m a big dreamer.. the step from things in your head to actually executing is still quite big. But as I mentioned before one day I started small and bought a book on geometrical patterns in art, started analyzing mosaic and tiles. Gained confident and I started putting things online, thoughts and small pencil drawings. I wanted to reach people who resonate with my message, reach people and make them feel and wonder and actually create a dialogue with them. People where so supportive and my work gradually starting reaching more and more people and the kindest words came my way. Which gave me confidence.. and with that my work and dreams became bigger. All of the sudden your knees deep in and it’s a business. Two big tip’s, learn that you are your own demon, your own biggest critic use this to analyze your work and get energy from others. Second outsource everything that’s not your specialism meaning product photography, shipping, insurance, social media content etc. But remain the tone of voice and story so it’s close to you.
About 4 years ago my best friend and I started renting studios together, he works in fashion and during the day he would work there at night I would come and paint. In the morning he would clean out my dried canvas and work again.. This group kept on getting bigger with people we knew from town or university, people that are all in the same start up phase as us. Currently we are in an old universal movie building meaning there is sounds-proof cinemas and other fun rooms to discover.I’m in the warehouse where goods would be delivered, meaning no heating and some mouses occasionally but in return I get a 7 meter high ceiling, which only benefit my works!I often have people over to drink beers, cook food and talk. I think it’s super important to have different and especially good energy around my work.
Art to me is a treat to a new language. Abstract expression rather than societies association on how life should be. Hoping to find a place where there was no longer a need to only use words as an expression. It’s a reflection of emotions and a way of expressing.
