Getting back to your roots can be complicated (2020) Drawing by Stephan B. Reisig

Stephan B. Reisig, born on July 31, 1964, in Dordrecht, a city in the Dutch province of Zuid-Holland, embarked on his artistic journey early in life. Initially focusing on fashion illustration, he studied at the Fashion Academy Fashion Design in Maastricht, where he showcased his talent with modest success. After a brief stint as an illustrator for a renowned fashion brand, Reisig gained admission to the prestigious Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam in 1988. Graduating Cum Laude in 1990, he has since made Amsterdam his home and professional base.

Throughout his thirty-year career, Reisig has made significant contributions to the artistic landscape. He has painted dramatic backgrounds for opera schools and exhibited extensively both within the Netherlands and internationally. In recent years, his artistic focus has shifted towards drawing, predominantly using colored pencils on paper, and experimenting with mixed techniques such as charcoal/pencil and acrylic paint.

Reisig's distinctive style is characterized by a blend of realism and an aspect of alienation and depersonalization, creating a sense of urban anonymity within his subjects. His newest series aims to express the purity of materials and the directness of the forms depicted, whether human or animal.

Beyond aesthetics, Reisig's art carries profound thematic weight. He seeks to captivate viewers with the allure of beauty before confronting them with uncomfortable truths embedded within his work. Through his art, Reisig aims to draw attention to societal distractions and the erosion of humanity perpetrated by those in power. He advocates for a reconnection with nature and inner selves as a means of resistance against this trend.

• Nationality: NETHERLANDS
• Date of birth : 1964
• Artistic domains: Represented by a Gallery,
• Groups: Contemporary Dutch Artists Artists presented by a gallery