A visit to Art Gallery in Axel is a remarkable experience for many art lovers. Within the gallery space, you encounter works that immediately evoke the great names of art history: expressive Cobra influences, striking Picasso-inspired pieces, and paintings that subtly nod to Impressionism. Not created by the original masters, but by an artist who has left a distinctive mark on the art world in his own way: Geert Jan Jansen.

With his exceptional talent and widely discussed past, he astonished and unsettled the international art world in the 1990s. In the early 2000s, he returned to the Netherlands, and since 2013 his work has been part of the permanent collection of Art Gallery. That story alone sparks curiosity, yet behind the name is above all a maker with a keen eye, extraordinary technical mastery, and a fascinating relationship with art, originality, and craftsmanship. For Art Gallery, more than enough reason to seek him out for an open and personal conversation.

For this interview, we travelled to his castle, where he lives and works, surrounded by his impressive body of work. A place where past, talent, and imagination come together—and where art is not only seen, but truly experienced.