Declassified, 2025, mixed media on canvas, 50 × 70 cm.
Art should ask questions. Art should not be complicit. Art should shake things up; lift the dust from the corners no one dared to approach. It should push us out of our comfort zone, into rough seas that make us uncomfortable and scared. Working on the ‘Close Encounters’ I’ve realised I’ve become too comfortable and too lukewarm. Working on themes of UFOs and extraterrestrials is not just about the existence of aliens, that’s kindergarten level for me (literally I’ve been painting aliens since kindergarten). Aliens and UFOs is not just a lighthearted fun topic — people have been seriously hurt by this, people have died trying to bring light to this subject, been imprisoned and prosecuted.
I feel that it’s my duty as an artist to talk about this. Even though it does scare me, I can’t keep self-censoring anymore. I know it’ll ruffle some feathers, maybe even attract some wrong eyes but I’m not being authentic and honest if I keep dancing around it like a cat on a hot stove. It’s my job to keep ruffling the feathers until we completely moult old feathers we’ve outgrown.
‘Declassified’ is the first painting in the series of the same name, which explores all the most significant and important events in modern ufology, but also aims to untangle the intricate web of conspiracies and lies following the paper trail of breadcrumbs left behind.
Declassified, 2025, mixed media on canvas, 50 × 70 cm.
Art should ask questions. Art should not be complicit. Art should shake things up; lift the dust from the corners no one dared to approach. It should push us out of our comfort zone, into rough seas that make us uncomfortable and scared. Working on the ‘Close Encounters’ I’ve realised I’ve become too comfortable and too lukewarm. Working on themes of UFOs and extraterrestrials is not just about the existence of aliens, that’s kindergarten level for me (literally I’ve been painting aliens since kindergarten). Aliens and UFOs is not just a lighthearted fun topic — people have been seriously hurt by this, people have died trying to bring light to this subject, been imprisoned and prosecuted.
I feel that it’s my duty as an artist to talk about this. Even though it does scare me, I can’t keep self-censoring anymore. I know it’ll ruffle some feathers, maybe even attract some wrong eyes but I’m not being authentic and honest if I keep dancing around it like a cat on a hot stove. It’s my job to keep ruffling the feathers until we completely moult old feathers we’ve outgrown.
‘Declassified’ is the first painting in the series of the same name, which explores all the most significant and important events in modern ufology, but also aims to untangle the intricate web of conspiracies and lies following the paper trail of breadcrumbs left behind.
