About Sjaak Korsten

The art movement with which Sjaak Korsten feels most connected is the Arte Povera that originated in Italy in the late 1960s. Known in the Netherlands as Fluxus and also under ZERO. Like the artists in this movement, he incorporates shabby materials into his works of art such as branches, rags, shoe soles etc. but also as a contrast, for example gold leaf, that distances him from the hierarchical approach to materials. Contradictions fascinate him and so does the tension it causes when you bring them together in a work of art. Nature is also an inspiration.

His work is represented and presented by galleries in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland and the United States and at art fairs such as the TEFAF Maastricht, PAN Amsterdam, Art Amsterdam, ART FAIR Cologne etc. In addition, he has had exhibitions in some museums such as Museum Bommel van Dam in Venlo, CODA museum in Apeldoorn and the ODA park in Venray.

His work is included in collections of museums,companies  and many private individuals, including; Museum van Bommel van Dam, OCE, DSM, RABObank, KAS Vereniging, Ministry of the Interior, Her Majesty Princess Beatrix. In 2018, together with his partner Juliette Wermenbol (the nose), Marielle Robbe and Yves Dupuits, he founded the company "SOM tales of perfume". This company develops and produces 100% botanical perfumes and design objects that are the carriers of these perfumes. The fragrances are mainly presented by installations in a room where you walk through a perfume: 'Scent Architecture'.

As a musician (drummer) he plays in The Ragtime Rumours.

C.V.

1975-1978 - Academy for Art and Design, 's Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

EXHIBITIONS (selection):

PontArte, Maastricht. Museum Bommel van Dam, Venlo (NL) ODA Park, Venray, installation (NL) Galerie De Rijk, The Hague (NL) Galerie Olympia, Krakow, (P) CODA Museum, Apeldoorn (NL) Monos Art Gallery, Liège, Belgium (B) Galerie Hüsstege Den Bosch (NL) Galerie Judy Straten, Horst (NL) If Art Gallery, Columbia, SC (USA) Pulchri, The Hague (NL) Mint Gallery, London (GB) , with 'SOM tales of perfume'

FAIRS (selection):

TEFAF Maastricht PAN Amsterdam Art Amsterdam Art Fair Köln, (GER) Ventura Future, Milan (IT) with 'SOM tales of perfume' Collect, London (GB) with 'SOM tales of perfume' Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven (NL) with 'SOM tales of perfume' INDEX, Dubai (UAE) with 'SOM tales of perfume' Design Week, Beijing (CH) with 'SOM tales of perfume' .

Witness is the title of Sjaak Korsten's first solo exhibition  at  PontArte in Maastricht.

The exhibition consists of recent works on and off paper. It is the materialized witnesses of physical ''places'' that the artist/musician has recently visited or that are important to him.

The pictures shown are very strong a snapshot of a presence the other works arise from a long meditative process through which the traces of a place slowly become visible.