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The room as an autobiography

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This painting is by the hand of Gijs. It is just one of the many pieces that fill up his room . Because his creative stamp on the room is so evident, he calls it his autobiography. It has become a collage of collected pieces, self-crafted art and emotionally valuable objects. To read his room is to read about Gijs’ life: the room abounds in personal stories and character, while also displaying his own style of art and aesthetic processes. Gijs tells us vividly about the workflow behind his own art, and the artistic means by which his room grew to be his innermost portfolio.

Gijs grew up in a creative family, and he acknowledges that he is indebted to his parents for his creative development. His father is a contractor who has always seen their house as an ongoing architectural project, and his mother is an artist and painter herself. They always encouraged Gijs to pursue his artistic endeavours, from drawing with him every morning when he was younger, to supporting him in exploring his own style. This exploration, Gijs tells us, has resulted in a fascination with faces. The various faces he comes across, whether it be the grim expressions in a murky club or the grins of his loved ones, form a vehicle of inspiration for his work. Throughout his pieces, both in his paintings and sculptures, the facial features reappear, often deflated or deconstrued, which result in striking portraits and remarkable models.

When Gijs composes his artworks, there is no preceding conceptualizing stage. Whenever he feels inspired, he rolls his easel into the room and simply starts painting, either on canvas, cardboard or wood. This playful spontaneity is clearly visible in his work: bold colors, rugged strokes and decisive shapes dominate his paintings. When he is not happy with his creation, he simply embraces the next creative stimulus and radically paints over his existing work or applies an entirely different method. Gijs proudly presents some paintings in which he had burnt holes or which he cut up with a putty knife. His work shows a certain surreal dimension that is reminiscent of Joan Miró or Karel Appel. Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat are two artists that Gijs mentions himself when relating his work to sources of inspiration. He explicitly denounces realism and wholeheartedly embraces a more abstract disposition: “I think art becomes much more interesting when an artwork is open for interpretation; people are allowed to think of my art whatever they want.”

The abstract force behind Gijs and his work is evident. It points to a degree of openness that immediately stands out when entering Gijs’ room, and that amplifies the autobiographical stamp on the room.