Silas Schletterer was born and raised in Middelburg, The Netherlands. At the age of 19 he moved to Rotterdam to study Illustration at the Willem de Kooning academy of art, from which he graduated in 2000. After a couple of years of working as an illustrator, he decided to follow his heart and started focussing on his autonomous work. Today he makes a living as a contemporary artist.
Inspired by films and fashion photography, he chooses young women and men to star in his work. The paintings he makes tell a story. Stories about beautiful, but lonely beings in quest for perfection and happiness. The composition of his paintings often tends to be cinematographic, and nature claims a central role. The relationship between human and animal, the search for a long lost soulmate and a desolated habitat are recurring subjects in his work. However, Silas’ work simultaneously engages with you as a totality and as a multiplicity, telling you one particular story in a particular way, whilst at the same time, silently asking you to consider an increasing number of other stories and questions. The same goes for the series of portraits Silas produces. Portraits that make you question the story, the sentiment that lies behind the facial expression of the personage.
The characters he paints are fictive. By combining facial parts of different models and recomposing them into a new model Silas creates portraits of distinct personages. Although his work can be recognized by the boldness of his colour palette and by that certain way of characteristic painted key players, Silas keeps experimenting with this classic theme.
Silas was a member of Dutch art collective Antistrot (1997 -2010). This renowned group of artists did shows all over the world (Tokyo, Miami, Dublin,..) including two solo exhibitions in New York and San Francisco. Currently Silas is one of the 6 members of the art collective KAMP HORST , established after the demise of its predecessor Antistrot. The main focus of its six members lies on making group paintings on both canvases and walls, but illustration and design also make up a big part of KAMP HORST’s body of work.
Resume of Silas
Email:desilas@gmail.com
Websites: www.silas.nl & www.kamphorstrotterdam.com
Education: Willem de Kooning academy of arts (1995 – 2000)
Graduated in 2000 (illustration)
Silas is represented by Jaski gallery and Kallenbach gallery
He was a member of the Rotterdam based art collective Antistrot (1997 -2010)
Currently Silas is a member of the art collective KAMP HORST which was established in 2010
Prizes: Runner up for Volkskrant Visual Arts Price in 2007 (with Antistrot)
- Solo exhibitions
2017 Miose at Jaski gallery, Amsterdam
2015 Descendenten at Walls gallery, Amsterdam
2013 The Colorblindfold at Walls gallery, Amsterdam
2012 While we wait for the sun to come, duo show with Martine Johanna at Walls gallery, Amsterdam
2011 New Relics, trio show at Blaak 10, Rotterdam
- Art fairs (selection)
2017 Art Miami, represented by Jaski gallery, Miami
Aqua Art Miami, represented by Kallenbach gallery, Miami
2016 Urban Art Fair Paris, represented by Kallenbach gallery, New York
2015 Scope art Miami, represented by Kallenbach gallery, Miami
2015 Scope art New York, represented by Kallenbach gallery, New York
2014 Scope art Miami, represented by Kallenbach gallery, Miami
Blooom art fair, represented by Kallenbach gallery, Cologne
Affordable art fair, represented by Walls gallery & Maijke Husstege gallery, Maastricht
2013 Affordable art fair, represented by Walls gallery, Amsterdam
Art at the warehouse, represented by Walls gallery, Rotterdam
Realisme art fair, represented by Walls gallery & Maijke Husstege gallery, Amsterdam
- Group exhibitions (selection)
2017 Superstar at Elizabeth Houston gallery, New York
Back home at Jaski gallery, Amsterdam
Holland at TENT, Rotterdam
2016 Works on paper at Kallenbach gallery, Amsterdam
Studio opening at The Penthouse, Rotterdam
2015 Return to the wild at Auguste clown gallery, Melbourne
Anus#2 at KYAS Art Salon, Amsterdam
Death & Sexuality at Schau Fenster, Berlin
6 x 6 show at Auguste clown gallery, Melbourne
Death & Sexuality at FB69, Munster
2014 Group show at Brisky gallery, Miami
End of summer at Kallenbach gallery, Amsterdam
Miscellaneous The Summer edition at Walls gallery, Amsterdam
Works on paper at Kallenbach gallery , Amsterdam
2013 Summer collection at Walls gallery, Amsterdam
2012 Identity at Walls gallery Amsterdam
Prints and the revolution at De Pijp, Amsterdam
2000-2011(selection)
Prints and the revolution at Rokin, Amsterdam
LFTFLD at Chiellerie, Amsterdam
Fashion Radio at Studio 80, Amsterdam
Duo show at Tweede Kamer/VVD fractie, Den Haag
No Name at PUNCT, Tilburg
Fitzroy & Bruut, Amsterdam
Windkracht 13, Den Helder
- Selection of most important publications Silas
2017 Publication and interview in Klassik Magazine
Publication and interview (artist of the month) in The Guide Artists
Publication in Luciano Benetton’s Imago Mundi
Publication in the art book ‘Holland’
Publication and interview It’s liquid.com
2015 The dancing wasteland, a book publication by Silas of selected works from 2013 until 2015
Handsome girl, publication in Anus art magazine #2
Descendenten solo show review on Beautiful bizarre.net
Interview in F.A.L.L. magazine
Publication and art on the cover of Art Alert magazine
Publication and interview in Culture magazine, Florida
Interview on DJBroadcast.net
2013 The Colorblindfold, a book celebrating Silas’ best artwork from 2003 – 2013
Interview and publication on Goldfished.nl
Interview and publication on Artworks online
2012 Review and interview in Parool news paper about the exhibition Beyond the streets
2011 Review exhibition in NRC news paper about the show New Relics
2010 2 pages in 200 Best illustrators worldwide (art book by Lurzer’s Publisher)
Jaarboek Kunstenaars by Stichting Kunstweek
2009 SF Chronicle’s review of mural at Shooting gallery
2008 Blend Magazine article about art by Silas
- Important purchases of paintings:
Purchases by many collectors world wide
Sold out the Colorblindfold show at Walls gallery
Zeeuws museum purchased porcelain by Bas van Beek and Antistrot
Boijmans van Beuningen purchased the painting Draai Orgy by Antistrot
Nationale Nederlanden purchased the painting No communication by Silas
Unilever purchased the painting Mom’s wolf by Silas
- Selection of most important exhibitions of KAMP HORST
2016 Studio opening group show and mural at The penthouse, Rotterdam
2015 Mural at Fluor, Amsersfoort
Death & Sexuality group show at Schau Fenster, Berlin
Death & Sexuality group show at FB69, Munster
2014 Mural at Patronaat, Haarlem
Miscellaneous The winter edition at Walls gallery, Amsterdam
De Aanschouw at De schouw, Rotterdam
2013 Solo show at Glassworks, London
Mural at Frame, Copenhagen
Mural at Raaf, Rotterdam
Realisme art fair, Amsterdam
Art at the warehouse, Rotterdam
2012 Solo show at Bijbels Museum, Amsterdam
Mural at JWT, Amsterdam
Identity Walls group show at gallery, Amsterdam
Mind Map group show, Venray
Re:Rotterdam art fair, Rotterdam
2011 The war on drags group show at Meneer Malash, Amsterdam
Sturm und Drang group show curated by Arno Coenen at KUS gallery, Heerlen
Metal Heart group show at Art Biennale Twente, Hengelo
Metal Heart group show curated by Arno Coenen at Autocenter, Berlin
- Selection of most important solo exhibitions Antistrot (2000 – 2010)
Solid Cold at Shooting gallery (San Francisco),
What we do is secret, Sara Tecchia gallery (New York)
A/P/A/R/T at Nadiff (Tokyo),
Threesome Hell at Winzavod (Moskou),
Banners at Sergey Kuryukhin cultural foundation (St. Petersburg),
Amateur Kaviar, Kabinetten van de Vleeshallen (Middelburg)
- selection of commissioned murals Antistrot (2000 – 2010)
Shooting gallery (San Francisco)
Nadiff (Tokyo)
Boijmans van Beuningen in 2009 & 2004 (Rotterdam)
Aqua Art, Art Basel Miami (Miami)
3rd Ward (Brooklyn, NYC)
Careof (Milano)
GEM Museum (Den Haag)
Hugh Lane Gallery (Dublin)