Curriculum Vitae

Jasper Oostland was born in Groningen on June 19th 1976. He began his study at the Minerva Academy in 1994 and got his certificate five years later. During his study, Jasper specialized himself in the art of illustration by taking such classes. During the five years he stayed at Minerva, his style changed from a cartoonish style to a more realistic way of painting. Jasper graduated with an exposition of small, detailed paintings of frogs in human-like situations.

These companies have work in their collection:
Unilever, Rotterdam
UMCG, Groningen
Menzis, Groningen
Openbare Bibliotheek Groningen
LabNoord, Groningen
GGZ Drente, Assen

Exhibits
(a selection)

Press report
Gallery van Strien, May 2001

A sunbathing seahorse wearing swimming trunks on a beach, a bear taking a walk in an empty city, a meditative rabbit in an armchair, a hare on a stepladder, a crocodile in a red wet-suit standing on a water scooter, a chameleon under an umbrella, a tired red eyed tree frog wearing his raincoat and pushing a packed shopping trolley in front of the supermarket or in the bathroom with naked upper body watching his own reflection in the mirror...

The work of the young painter from Groningen (1976) always makes you at least smile but most of the time just laugh. By placing animals in a human-like context he developed a very own style: very precisely painted, well targeted cartoonesque presentations in bright colours full of witty detail. He puts forth a story in which the viewer can fill in the storyline for himself. There's no shortage of inspiration: the formula seems inexhaustible and seems applicable to the wildest combinations which, together with great painting craftmanship, create estranging, but primarily surprising and tempting images.

Jasper builds up his paintings with many transparent layers of paint. He paints acryl on paper on preferably 30 X 30 cm sized paper which is a handy format that invites the creating of combinations of mosaics. Recently he has been making some bigger paintings as well. Since his graduating from the Minerva Academy in Groningen Jasper Oostland enjoys a great deal of success with his work.