I have always had a deep love for stories, mythology, and the art of storytelling itself. It is no surprise that many of my works began to carry narrative elements. Well-known cinematic interpretations of artists such as Vermeer and Modigliani often served as a point of departure. Paintings like Modigliani Showing Jeanne or Griet the Maidservant are examples of this approach.

I have long been inspired by the Old Masters. Their lives and philosophies fascinated me, as much as their artistic styles. This led me to paint portraits of figures such as Vincent van Gogh or Cézanne in the spirit of their own style. My Rembrandt, for instance, was painted on rough jute with thick layers of paint, echoing the rawness of his time.

In works such as Der Untergang and The Bombing of Rotterdam, I wove in details drawn from Goya and Picasso’s Guernica. These references are both homage and dialogue with their powerful imagery.

As the painter in the beautiful film Bienvenue parmi nous (Welcome Home) says to a young woman:
“We look at other painters, we need their examples. Only after a while do we find something truly our own.”