Beginnings — [email protected], (347) 433-5601 110 Meserole Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Gallery Hours Thurs-Sun 11am-7pm

Wood Sculptures by Merijn Hos

December 6th- January 6th 2013 Opening Reception: Thursday, December 6th, 2012 7pm-10pm

Beginnings – is glad to present the work of Merjin Hos, a contemporary Dutch artist and illustrator. The immediate pleasure of looking at these wooden objects with their bright hues and smooth brushwork is multiplied tenfold in a splendid array of faces and non-faces. Enter a lively forest of shapes and colors, enjoy a feast of immersive sculpture and three-dimensional charm. Wood Sculptures is a rare opportunity to see this body of work outside of Europe and the first time it has been collected in its entirety. The sculptures pull from references to modernism and folk art, the colors are reminiscent of Alexander Girard and the linework of Stig Lindberg. The timeless spirit of good design that crosses borders and breezes across oceans—can you feel it? We feel it.

Wood Sculptures

Wood Sculptures is a collection of works originally made for an exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum Kampen in the Netherlands, which was on display in the Spring of 2012. The group exhibition, which the installation was part of, was entitled, “Grenzeloos” (nl) – translated as “Boundless”. A number of contemporary Dutch Illustrators working in the traditional context of commercial art projects and self-initiated artworks were featured in the show.

The series consists of over a hundred unique sculptures varying in size between 5 and 14 inches. I began the creation process by drawing objects that appear frequently in my work, for example, plants, faces, and pottery in their most simple form, narrowing each item down to the essence of their shape. The drawings were then cut out of wood and finalized with house paint and acrylics. Being inspired by Art Brut and Folk Art I decided to paint what are rather abstract forms in a naïve way, using about 24 colors and a uniform brush size.

–Merijn Hos, 2012

About the Artist

Merijn Hos is an illustrator and artist based in the Netherlands. From his Utrecht based studio he works on commercial projects as well as his own artworks. There is a thin line between his commercial and art-based projects. His work is often very joyful and has the intention to make people smile, yet there is sometimes a socially critical side if you look a bit further into his work.

Merijn has participated in exhibitions worldwide. His clients include Coca-Cola, Leifsdottir, Google, Sony, Keds, Le Sportsac, Nickelodeon, and Nike, a.o.

Merijnhos.com Hugoandmarie.com