Roeland van der Kley

Roeland van der Kley (1960–2023) painted stories in which reality, imagination and the distinct character of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen come together. His work is associated with magic realism: recognisable scenes take on an unexpected character, sometimes humorous, sometimes subtly unsettling. Although he grew up in Breda, Roeland felt a strong connection with Zeeuws-Vlaanderen from an early age. He later settled in Mauritsfort near Hoek, where the landscape, open skies and local stories became a lasting source of inspiration. His paintings feature striking figures, historical references and scenes that feel like theatrical moments frozen in time. Roeland worked with great craftsmanship and a keen sense of composition and atmosphere. His paintings invite the viewer to look longer: behind the first impression, there is often humour, tension or a story that does not reveal itself immediately. He aptly described his own work as ‘theatre on canvas’. In addition to painting, Roeland also worked as a draughtsman and graphic artist. In his later work, he increasingly connected visual art with stories from Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, including De drieling van Terhole and the triptych he created in honour of Mathilde Willink. He left behind a distinctive body of work in which craftsmanship, imagination and love for the region are inseparably intertwined.

format:  100 x 160 cm

type: 

Description:  "She has managed to reach the top by herself to living work of art. By her extreme makeup, she has managed to amass fame and now the top is finally reached, only thing that rests is her fall down. Her top is already in disrepair. She has tried to mask this by painting her beloved artistic patterns on the tower, but it will not help her. The tower is in a heap, and if she would crawl in the tower, she runs the risk of falling of the top with it. She has reached the top. But there is nothing more for her. She has two choices presented to her. 1.With Tower and all in the ravine. 2. clean herself up, change her clothes and descend from the top on her own. That last one seems most logical. No one will recognise her and she can lead an ordinary life. But she will miss the urge to eternal fame. All this attention. She can no longer accept an ordinary life. Within the concept of “Interiors from art” it’s possible to buy the work of art to complete the styling.