Exquisite Arts Magazine Vol 3 - Nov/ Dec 2016 | Page 16

Your sculptures are playful and very unique.
What inspired you to create assemblage
sculptures? How did you get started?
Both my parents were makers/tinkerers, they
were always busy creating things. They were
also avid collectors of many things and liked
strolling at flea markets. So I grew up
surrounded with old, interesting and antique
things. After years of painting, digital art, urban
paper-art and many other disciplines I started
out with assemblage art about 4 years ago. My
youngest daughter was about to be born and I
really needed to do something with my hands,
something tangible. I had been working as a
graphic designer for about 10 years at that time
and I really needed to do something in 3D. I
always coveted an old roadster, so I started out
tinkering with random old and vintage stuff that
was laying around in my house. After a few
months my first piece was created.
As mentioned, your work explores the gap
between the fortunate and unfortunate within
our society. Why did you choose to make this
issue the focal point of your work?
It's a reflection of what I see happening in the
world. I've always been an outspoken man, and
I do worry about a lot of things. I really want to
do something about it. There is only one
problem: I detest politics and politicians, which
makes going into politics not an option.
However, my work keeps evolving and it's
getting more and more personal. The gap you
mentioned gradually reclines into the
background, my work is becoming more and
more about the desire of mankind to escape.
Thus my tagline: The wish of mankind to escape
its dreary existence with hope of great
adventures.
I am a daydreamer. As long as I can remember
I've had two lives, my normal life and my

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daydreams. Now that I am 'a grown man',
creating my art is my way of daydreaming, I
guess.
Many believe that artists have a social
responsibility or that art should convey a deep
rooted message. What is your opinion?
I don't believe art always needs to convey deep
messages or a statement. Sometimes art can be
fun or strange or simply beautiful. Although I
do think great art moves an audience, in one
way or the other.
Tell us more about your artistic style and the
materials that you use to create your
sculptures.
I always use real old materials, materials with
a story, a soul. Scratches add to their beauty. I
really like the Japanese philosophy of WabiSabi. Wabi-Sabi tells us the older the materials
get, the more scratches and dings it has, the
greater its beauty. I like honest materials and
machines, made with metal and wood. Those
old machines are well put together, made with
attention and love. For example antique
sowing machines. They have beautiful
engraved plates and lettering. These machines
were build to last a few lifetimes, so they put
effort in making it not only sturdy, but also
beautiful. I can just unscrew those (not like
modern plastic machines). Even after 80 or so
years. Heck, you can even still use them.
I love to exaggerate form to convey the image I
like to portray. Cars need to look fast even
when they stand still, or when it's a cruiser, it
really needs to look like a relaxing ride.
The sculptures need to look like they are
assembled in a shed. All things are hand sewn
and mostly bolted, I don't weld. After all, these
vehicles are all created in sheds, by dreamers
just like me.