Jurriën van Berkum

My name is Jurriën van Berkum and I am a Dutch artist and designer living and working in Madrid, Spain.

I was born in 1976 in the city of Den Bosch, in the south of The Netherlands, a city known for its vibrant culture, artistic spirit and being the birthplace of Jheronimus Bosch. From a young age I was fascinated by music, art and human relations, with each other and themselves in all its glory and intensity. Which is still my main source of inspiration.

When I paint, I use black ink, acrylic paint, and markers and only one brush. Water does not get changed until it starts to smell, and sometimes other liquids, like coffee get integrated into my work too. I love how colors are affected by each other, just like with people.

After I finished a work, I’m very connected to it, as if it were my best friend. Once that feeling fades, that's when I start a new work. Just like in real life, where sometimes relationships between people fade or become intense and short or keep you up all night.

I can paint anywhere, at home, a bar, the beach, a plane or on the metro of Madrid. Mistakes or accidents are what make my dreamworlds come alive. If I knew exactly what my painting was going to be like, I would not have to make it.

"Bad art is more tragically beautiful than good art because it documents human failure" – Tristan Rêveur - Stay 2005