Arnout van Albada | Delicious | with Piet Sebens & Stijn Rietman

Delicious brings together at Galerie Mokum the body of work of Arnout van Albada alongside the work of Piet Sebens and Stijn Rietman, all artists we are pleased to represent. At first glance, we notice how these images are more than just simply realistic representation of delicious food. Looking for interpretation may not be the right direction either. Each painting can be surprisingly unfamiliar due to minute details, allowing us to get truly involved in the unique character of each composition and understand their features.  

What stands out in Van Albada's paintings is the solid compositional foundation. He believes in the art of omission: "I prefer it when a painting can breathe." Van Albada has a great fascination for architecture and geometry, he incorporates this passion into his paintings. He chooses his point of view carefully. Sometimes we look along at his puddings at eye level, other times we look into his ice cream cake from above.

The paintings of Piet Sebens are characterised by balanced compositions with distinct use of colour and careful, measured execution. Not a single object is out of place: everything is arranged precisely as shown. In his recent work, Sebens' shows us the beauty of everyday delicacies from the (super)market, such as bags filled with grapes, cheese and pickled lemons.

Everyday objects are given a stage of their own when Stijn Rietman paints them. By carefully painting these objects with solid craftsmanship and great eye to detail, he creates a field of tension between a familiar image and the sometimes weird or uncomfortable meaning the chosen subject has.  "As a painter," Stijn Rietman tells us, "you always manipulate reality more or less; you stage purposely, you leave out or add details, giving the picture an extra atmosphere. A realist would passively be in his environment, breathing in and out and wouldn’t intervene’.

Come and visit us on October 7 and get to know these works with a closer look.