Takeover: #164 Thijs Segers
Thijs Segers: Instagram / Website
#164 (24/05 - 28/05, 2021) written by Robin Speijer / Interview by Derk Müller and Joris Broekhoven
Just look and see for yourself what comes to mind! Thijs Segers graduated from Fine Art at the AKI in Enschede (2020). He’s an artist focused on the process of painting and the form that results from doing so. His works depict the mystery of the everyday, often involving things that are decaying or dead, like plants and animals. He’s not sure why these subjects captivate him so much that he’s driven to paint them.
“If I were to discover what or why that is exactly, the thrill in making it would likely be lost.”
It all starts with the pictures he takes constantly when he’s on his way somewhere or out in nature. These pictures are like reminders to him, evoking associations and thoughts in his head. Using watercolor paint, he swiftly creates ‘sketches’ based on these associations.
“I would rather not distinguish between sketches and finished work, they are just as important to me.”
After producing a lot of these watercolors, he selects and sometimes combines some of them to recreate in a much larger oil painting. By enlarging them in this way he draws them even further away from any existing reality. Recently Thijs has been trying to figure out how to paint as loosely and open in his oil paintings as he does in his watercolors.
“Watercolors are simple and quick. It’s also a very transparent medium. On a large scale you cannot imitate that, especially because oils quickly become too opaque. I’ve been trying to work through that obstacle for an entire year.”
During his takeover Thijs would love to show us his painting process, as he thinks this is the most fun to show. He would like for you to look at his work, experience it and formulate your own stories.
“If I were to discover what or why that is exactly, the thrill in making it would likely be lost.”
It all starts with the pictures he takes constantly when he’s on his way somewhere or out in nature. These pictures are like reminders to him, evoking associations and thoughts in his head. Using watercolor paint, he swiftly creates ‘sketches’ based on these associations.
“I would rather not distinguish between sketches and finished work, they are just as important to me.”
After producing a lot of these watercolors, he selects and sometimes combines some of them to recreate in a much larger oil painting. By enlarging them in this way he draws them even further away from any existing reality. Recently Thijs has been trying to figure out how to paint as loosely and open in his oil paintings as he does in his watercolors.
“Watercolors are simple and quick. It’s also a very transparent medium. On a large scale you cannot imitate that, especially because oils quickly become too opaque. I’ve been trying to work through that obstacle for an entire year.”
During his takeover Thijs would love to show us his painting process, as he thinks this is the most fun to show. He would like for you to look at his work, experience it and formulate your own stories.