Silas

Middelburg, 1976

Biography

Silas Schletterer was born and raised in Middelburg, The Netherlands. At 19 he moved to Rotterdam to study Illustration at the Willem de Kooning academy of art, graduating in 2000. After several years working as an illustrator, he decided to follow his heart and focus on his free work.

As a contemporary artist Silas is inspired by films and fashion photography. His narrative paintings feature young men and women; beautiful, but lonely beings questing for perfection and happiness. The composition of his paintings often tends to be cinematographic with nature featuring centre stage. Recurring elements in his work are the relationship between humans and animals, the quest for a soul mate and the desolation of one’s surroundings. Silas’ work engages the viewer on multiple levels, recounting one particular story in a particular way while at the same time hinting at the presence of numerous other stories and questions. The same holds true for his portraits: the viewer is invited to question the narrative and examine the sentiment that lies behind the facial expression of the subject .

Silas paints fictional characters, combining the facial characteristics of different models to create a new subject. This distinctive approach and his bold colour palette make his work instantly recognisable, yet Silas is constantly experimenting with his classic theme.

From 1997 to 2010 Silas was a member of Dutch art collective Antistrot. Currently he is one of the six members of art collective Kamp Horst, established after the demise of Antistrot. These artists focus on the creation of group paintings, both on canvas and as mural, but illustration and design also constitute a major part of their work.