ROCKSTARS, solo exhibition Nick Twaalfhoven. April 9 – May 21, 2022
- by Meritum Studio
- - 06/13/2022
From Saturday 9 April, the new collection of artworks from Nick Twaalfhoven is on display in the GO Gallery.
Inspired by the mythical cult status of rock ‘n roll icons, a quirky story is told on the border of intuition and reason, in a style he calls neo-expressionist street pop.
Iconic portraits of David Bowie, Prince, Grace Jones, Elton John, George Michael, Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison, among others, are on display through May 21.
Inspired by the mythical cult status of rock ‘n roll icons, a quirky story is told on the border of intuition and reason, in a style he calls neo-expressionist street pop.
Iconic portraits of David Bowie, Prince, Grace Jones, Elton John, George Michael, Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison, among others, are on display through May 21.
Influences come from everywhere; visual arts -of course- but also music, film, comics and graphic design are given shape with a powerful and expressive signature. That signature is dynamic and is a continuous process.
Reality sometimes seems to take on an almost caricature character by combining the technique of stencils and grids with fragments of text and symbolic and figurative elements.
The use of materials is just as diverse: acrylic and oil paint, oil chalk, spray can, yacht varnish, charcoal, markers and ink are used interchangeably on canvas that has been edited with thick layers of street posters, digitally edited prints and cut-out templates.
This use of materials and the direct and rudimentary way of painting give his paintings a raw colorful experience, but also leave a lot of room for one’s own imagination.
Reality sometimes seems to take on an almost caricature character by combining the technique of stencils and grids with fragments of text and symbolic and figurative elements.
The use of materials is just as diverse: acrylic and oil paint, oil chalk, spray can, yacht varnish, charcoal, markers and ink are used interchangeably on canvas that has been edited with thick layers of street posters, digitally edited prints and cut-out templates.
This use of materials and the direct and rudimentary way of painting give his paintings a raw colorful experience, but also leave a lot of room for one’s own imagination.
Nick Twaalfhoven grew up in an artistic family, his father is a musician and his mother is an artist. Music is a common thread through the work and life of the artist.
“With every thought and memory I hear its own soundtrack. A painting by a musician can be seen as an ode to the icon. I also enjoy reading the biographies of the Rock Stars and highlighting quotes or ideas for the new artwork to be created.” On his travels through South America and Southeast Asia, Nick has been fascinated and inspired by the peeling walls with weathered posters he came across. He also uses this in his work.
“With every thought and memory I hear its own soundtrack. A painting by a musician can be seen as an ode to the icon. I also enjoy reading the biographies of the Rock Stars and highlighting quotes or ideas for the new artwork to be created.” On his travels through South America and Southeast Asia, Nick has been fascinated and inspired by the peeling walls with weathered posters he came across. He also uses this in his work.
