Jan Stremes
Painter, ° 1963
Lives and works in Sint-Niklaas (BE)
Stremes’ oeuvre is characterized by a number of unmissable recurring elements that have fascinated he artist since his childhood: religion, popular history, war, sexuality and irony are a few. Despite the loaded nature of such themes, Stremes remains modest in taking a fixed position in relation to them. He does not have the possessed, fanatical need to dig deep into each theme; he is a bit like a subtle troublemaker who always remains in the protective sphere of innocence with ironic humor and poetry. The paintings are, as it were, reveries, the artist’s thoughts transformed into mysterious images without lapsing into one-dimensional sensation.
The oeuvre of Jan Stremes is noisy, mischievous and restless with sporadic vocal outbursts that balance on provocation and a cry for help.
Stremes’ artworks somehow touch you. They patiently, slowly but effectively sneak into your soul, keeping you curious all the time and making you want to keep going along with the continuity of this artist’s oeuvre.
(Text by Jan Van Woensel 2015)
