Born in Nijmegen, the Amsterdam-based artist Berend Strik has become internationally acclaimed for his embroidery of found objects, particularly photographs.
After graduating from the Rijksacademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam, Strik has had several artist residencies spanning three continents, and regularly exhibits internationally. He is best known for his series ‘Deciphering the Artist’s Mind’, in which he photographs studios of artists among the likes of Jackson Pollock, Martha Rosler or Marcel Duchamp.
By adding layers to these previously ‘sacred’ spaces of artistic genius, Strik appropriates the images to make them his own, highlighting the parts he deems important through his embroidery. His final works, as well as his artistic process, therefore engage a dialogue between the personal and the public. We are encouraged to use our imagination and look at the world around us from a different angle – and who couldn’t use a bit of a fresh perspective?
