bastiaen art

BASTIAEN VRIES

I want the viewer to perceive real people, real characters.

I describe my style as ‘Human Realism’. Expressive portraits with a soul. I try to express the strength as the vulnerability of a person.

‘Zooming in’ on a face I find very exciting, because as a viewer you are captured by the portrait and there is no escape possible.

I have been inspired by my great-grandfather who did oil paintings until he was in his late nineties. I remember him painting landscapes and portraits when visiting him as a child. My mother also inspired me with her drawings and paintings, finding time to do it though busy with her work at the International Archives for the Women’s Movement (IIAV) and the raising of her two children.

Painting totally relaxes me like being in a meditative state. I think mainly about the creation of colours and applying them to the right area on the canvas. To make something from an empty canvas fuels my passion to create a harmony of light on the surface. Painting, like my fashion design work, involves form and colour composition; it sharpens my creativity in other expressions as well.

In addition to my own motivation, my partner supports and encourages my art. He provides valuable input which allows me to achieve better outcomes.