ABOUT
With consciousness there seems to grow in us the inescapable need to experience the world and ourselves not as a rounded whole but as an interplay of opposites.
The distinction between 'masculine' and 'feminine' represents the absolute contradiction faced by the conscious human being and is the condition for 'masculinity' and 'femininity' as
manifested in our society. It defines our entire modern, materialistic way of thinking and living in which masculine qualities have degenerated into extremes.
Masculinity'; the dominance of the 'masculine' aspect in every human being. (1990, Roland Maas)
Born in 1966 in one of the most boring villages in the south of the Netherlands, Roland Maas studied at the academy of visual arts in Breda. After graduation, setbacks followed which meant he had
to let go of his dream of working as an artist fairly soon to then go into paid employment. This event is indicative of the rest of his career and his outlook on being an artist.
Maas picked up painting again in 2016, more than 25 years after his graduation. The time to find his way in his hybrid art practice was not the only reason for this. His aversion to conceptual thinking, which was the trend during his studies, limited his artistic expressions in drawing and painting. Not until 2011, after many wanderings working in many disciplines, he found the spontaneity in his creations again in his spatial works combining ceramics with trash. That cleared the way to start painting again.
His preference for the human figure is reflected in his paintings based on memories and personal experiences. His work explores emotions and interrogates preconceived notions of identity, gender,
family and artistry. The work explores his identity as a man and artist but as a modern human being first and foremost. Socio-political and social themes can also be read in his work but are
secondary to the image. His love for portraiture is reflected in the portrait series 'the Legacy', which he began in 2017 and which has been a common thread in his oeuvre ever since. He
uses the portraits to explore character and artistic expression, while the likeness of the subjects is secondary. In his work, Maas puts the creative process first.
'In my paintings, original concepts are secondary to the creative process and the final image. Every painting starts with an inspiration; a concept arises, but I hope to let go of that idea while
painting. I like to work from the idea that coincidence exists. Ratio, feeling, as well as spontaneity and intuition are equally dear to me and make the creative process unpredictable.'
Leidschendam, the Netherlands, 2024