03 july 2023, Wouter van den Eijkel
The studio of... Ruben Raven
Painter Ruben Raven likes to collaborate with fellow artists. Earlier this spring, he made a series of works with Kaspar Dejong and in recent weeks, Raven’s work has been on display in 'Claire’s Palette', a collaboration with Joeri Woudstra at Josilda da Conceição Gallery. All ideas for this show were developed using AI, including the name of the exhibition. We asked Raven why he likes collaboration and why he draws inspiration from crochet work. This Saturday, the summer exhibition 'Connecting the Future' will be opening at the gallery, featuring work by five Serbian artists and that of Raven.
Where is your studio located and what does it look like?
My studio is currently located on a farm in Zeewolde, directly above my mother’s goldsmithing workshop. This location gives us the precious opportunity to spend a lot of time sharing ideas and discussing our work. I am also actively looking for a workspace in Amsterdam because I would like to be closer to my colleagues, who I work closely with.
What does a typical day in your studio look like?
I try to organise my workday with as much structure as possible. I usually start around 9 am, although I often need some time to find my concentration the first hour. To get going, I drink a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper or following the news online to stay abreast of what's happening in the world. I then start working out my plans and ideas.
I work throughout the day, usually with background music. It can be anything: techno set, hip-hop, classical music or sometimes even Rammstein or Alice in Chains, depending on my mood. I am open to all kinds of music, as long as it is not Top 40 because I feel that this kind of music often lacks passion or sincerity.
I sometimes also listen to podcasts while working, unless I'm in a complex situation that requires silence. At such times, I try to focus fully on solving the issue. I’ve also noticed that I spend a lot of time Facetiming with my girlfriend, friends or colleagues, having discussions while I'm at work. I then place my phone diagonally next to my brushes and enjoy multitasking in space. I always love doing this, especially during a long day.
Ruben Raven, Zero Can, 2020, Josilda da Conceição Gallery
What makes a good studio for you? You’re a painter, but you also do a lot with computers. Is natural light a requirement or do you prefer a large space?
My aim is to have a spacious studio in the future, where I can exhibit my work for a long time in my own environment and allow it to mature and make changes to it. My current workspace doubles as a storage space for various projects I'm working on. So, what I really need is an organised environment where I can easily move around and have a clear overview of all my projects. To achieve this, the size of the studio is essential. I also need lots of natural light and luckily, I have ceiling windows that let in beautiful daylight. This allows me to optimally assess my paintings under the best lighting.
Your work was recently on display in 'Claire's Palette', a duo exhibition with Joeri Woudstra. Can you explain what the show was about?
For this exhibition, we combined our skills for a duo presentation. Joeri is a master at digital applications, while I mainly focus on traditional art forms. Together, we decided to create an innovative exhibition using AI as a tool to develop our ideas. Even the title of the exhibition was created using this technology. Our basic theme was flowers because we both have a great interest in developing this subject in our artwork.
Using AI, we created compositions of flowers, discovering during the development process that the visual process was much more interesting than the final result. So, in the series Unbloomed, we show flowers that have only reached about 10% of their full development. We also wanted to break with the standard gallery presentation format. That's why we decided to cover the floor with a vinyl print based on these renders, in combination with other visual elements that interested us.
On the wall are works of art based on the concept of sticker sheets, where the stickers are framed on a sheet. Joeri designed these sheets on the computer and then made them in aluminium using a laser technique. I then painted the stickers in their traditional form using oils. The theme of the sticker sheets turned out to be a perfect physical amalgamation of our work.
Claire's Palette, Josilda da Conceição Gallery
How did the collaboration with Joeri come about?
I came into contact with Joeri via Instagram, where I was impressed by his work. We got in touch online and bumped into each other during my group exhibition at Art Rotterdam, while his work was exhibited in the Prospects section by the Mondrian Fund. We soon noticed that we had shared interests and therefore decided to work together for this exhibition, which has turned out very well.
Earlier this spring, you had a duo exhibition with Kaspar Dejong. Is the collaboration or a duo presentation something you consciously look for? Is there a certain benefit in it for you?
After graduating, I realised that being an artist meant working alone and I missed working together with other creative people. When I first started working with Kaspar, I discovered how exciting it was to be able to brainstorm with other creators and come up with great ideas and concepts together. This made me realise that this is a fantastic formula for projects and that it can be refreshing for my own practice to allow other influences into my work and as a result, develop together.
For your show with Kaspar, you went on a number of field trips to lesser-known cities in Europe. How did you prepare for 'Claire's Palette'?
Since these exhibitions overlapped, there was considerably more time pressure and our communication was mainly digital. We developed our ideas mainly through voice memos and impromptu phone calls when important matters needed to be discussed. Throughout the day, we sent each other images and sketches as inspiration and creative possibilities. As we approached the moment of realisation, we started collaborating more and more on location in actually producing the work.
Your subjects are often mundane: objects we no longer use, such as old monitors, DVDs, but also crochet. Can you tell me what triggers you. Why, for example, do you see potential in painting a crochet work?
I constantly strive for innovation by exploring new ideas and topics. Last summer, in 2022, I travelled through Croatia and Bosnia, where I repeatedly came across a decorative art form I had forgotten about, but which brought back many memories. It involved crocheting and I was inspired by the endless possibilities that can be created with it. This fascination prompted me to develop this theme further. As a painter, I was looking for a way to transform the feeling of this technique on to canvas and thus develop new visual concepts in the future. I will be experimenting a lot more with this.
Ruben Raven, Brian Eno - Music for airports CD, 2021, Josilda da Conceição Gallery
Is there another medium in which you would like to work one day?
During my collaboration with Joeri, I was inspired to explore various materials and use them as the basis for my work. This gave me the idea to enter into a collaboration with the textile museum of Tilburg. The goal is to create unique designs for woven fabrics and crochet work and then apply them to canvas to take it a step further.
What are you currently working on?
Right now, I have a packed schedule and am working on several things at the same time, such as a presentation at the upcoming exhibition at Unfair. In November, I will be participating in a trade fair in Barcelona, where I will have my very first solo presentation. In addition, I am working with Joeri Woudstra on a duo presentation for Art Rotterdam in February. We intend to transform a complete stand there and turn it into something truly unique.
