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APHORISMS​

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The small paintings in this series are called Aphorisms, in analogy with the figure of speech called ‘aphorism’, meaning: a short, concise statement that expresses an astute observation in a memorable way.

The series has different sub-categories, commenting in a painterly way on different phenomena.

– The sub-category Zoanthidae, for example, takes on the ambiguity of the invertebrates called Zoanthidae. They are sea-animals that belong to the class of corals, but have the look of plants, and their elegant appearance can be treacherous, because some species of the Zoanthidae contain the powerful toxin palytoxin, which can be dangerous if inhaled. Ambiguity is the perfect playground for art.

- About the painting: Not so big, Damien, nicht so gross, Albert.

Damien Hirst painted the ‘Cherry Blossom’ series between 2018 and 2020. I was slightly shocked by the gigantic size of the works, which are up to 4 meters by 4 meters. Shortly afterwards, I saw an exhibition of Albert Oehlen's paintings of trees – not so large, and they appealed to me much more.

So, over a 'failed' work, I painted a tree with branches growing in different directions, and I spared a few dots of colour. I think that a painting can be both an 'homage to' and a 'sneer at' at the same time.

— The sub-category Autobahn deals with landscapes flashing by, as seen through the window of a car at high speed. But the blurry effect is not created by smudging the paint; every detail is painted sharp, although the overall impression of each painting is ‘blurriness, movement and speed’.