Back in the ’90s, we were all deep into “Brand Fucking. ”SHELL became HELL, Coca-Cola turned into Cocaine. I set my sights on CHANEL. This painting with the cross is a continuation of that spirit — a visual response to the madness that surrounded No. 5 at the time. The perfume became almost a religion, the brand an obsession.
I grew up in Bergen, a small artist village in the Netherlands, where I was surrounded by painters and creatives. From a young age, I was already experimenting with paint and materials — some works I proudly sold, others I left by the roadside without regret. The pieces featured here are the ones I chose to keep.
One day, while doodling during a phone call, I was surprised to notice I had drawn fish with gun-shaped heads. To this day, I can’t recall what the call was about, but that moment marked the birth of the Gunfish.
