This is artist Sebastian Haquin
Every object can become a symbol. And every symbol can reveal unexpected depths. Sebastian Haquin (London, 1991) explores the magic of everyday things.
His starting point is dreams and distorted memories. The scene that has been etched in his mind is physically replicated with chosen models, and then often immediately painted. The elements of his work - a naked man on all fours, a woman with sunglasses and a glass of wine, Peter Pan - may seem somewhat ambiguous at best. But combined in Haquin's work, they reveal a spectacle.
His work is figurative and expressionistic. He uses a rich color palette and a varied coarse and fine brushstroke. Haquin frequently employs wet-on-wet painting (alla prima), applying a new layer without letting the layers dry in between. By showing the different layers of paint, Haquin aims to create space in the painting. Just as a dream leaves certain parts vague, and others detailed or distorted. The layers of paint thus serve as the starting point of the narrative and provide an additional symbolic layer to the work.
Sebastian Haquin was born in London and raised in Australia. His father is French. He graduated from the RMIT Art Academy in Melbourne, BFA painting. He lives and works in Rotterdam.
Sebastian Haquin (32) has been declared the winner of the Volkskrant Beeldende Kunst Publieksprijs 2024. Visitors to the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam chose the London-born painter as their favorite.
Represented by Westerkadekunst