The Matches by Adriaan Van Stenis (1976)

Sign inCustomer Service Cart

+Add to Cart

Available Sizes inches / cm
Petite $57.50
Small $69.00
Medium $86.25
Large $115.00
Grande $230.00
Massive $345.00

Description Oil painting of a surreal landscape with burned matches as the only visitors. They look alive, but can they be?

Adriaan Van Stenis, Ridderkerk, The Netherlands
Member Since July 2012
Artist Statement Born in Ridderkerk, The Netherlands in 1958 Adriaan van Stenis was educated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam. From 1973 onwards he created drawings and paintings, inspired by stories and showing fantasy-like images, depicting general human themes and personal experiences in a surrealistic style, which contains both figurative as abstract elements.

A lot of his work has a deeper meaning. The title of the drawing or painting often reflects this and clarifies the image. Sometimes the painter lets the viewers use their own interpretation of the image.The artist is usually inspired by the daily-life reality or personal experiences that are visualized in a very personal way.

In the work of Adriaan van Stenis we see a mixture of realistic, organic and abstract-geometric forms and shapes put together in a collage-like image. This, in connection with the title of the work gives a really interesting way of dealing with reality, the viewer is forced to think again about that what he has just seen.

In the seventies a lot of work was created, mostly made in a very precise pencil-technique, in a surrealistic style, often containing symbols that are pointing towards images or thoughts from the subconscious mind.

Adriaan van Stenis is also inspired by science. Especially the developements in genetic-science are a source of inspiration for him. Another theme that plays an important role in his work is the representation of space and time.

In his work Adriaan van Stenis is clearly busy with a self-investigation as human being and artist.

Through the years this self-investigation becomes visible in subjects as "Life and Death", "Male and Female' and the human being visualized in his ability to communicate or his inability to do so. Other way's of expressing himself are abstract drawings and paintings and more recently digital artwork.