Gaby is obviously a new name in the art world. Originally from The Hague (The Netherlands) but now living in Bussum he surprised a lot of people in the contemporary art world and beyond with his unusual style. Gaby makes art the unconventional way: he uses colors, he Photoshops, he glues, he stitches, he paints and draws (and mixes it), literally outside the old conventions.
As a small boy he was confronted with a disability but learned how to turn things round and turn it into his biggest strength. At first his dyslexia seemed to get in the way of his dreams but in reality it was the start of his creative talent. He searched for circumstances in which his vision and artistic talent could flourish. It started in the field of youth work.
Gaby developed the ability to entertain other people and appeared in a video clip of Kylie Minogue – in a Disney-outfit to be honest. As a dressed-up entertainer for this largest media and entertainment corporation in the world he walked hand in hand with Michael Jackson and played tennis with Andre Agassi. Meanwhile the more serious side of Gaby was involved with several creative projects in which his insight and artistic views were of great significance. “I created every single idea you can think of, as long as I did not have to put it in writing,” Gaby says.
His inability to put his thoughts into the right words made him a very creative thinker. What started as something to cover up his ‘imperfection’ became more and more an inexhaustible source of ideas. When Gaby met with great opposition while he was working on one of his projects as a fashion designer he used his frustrations to start drawing with everything he could think of to use: Cola, paint, cardboard.
It was not a very conscious choice to become an artist, although at one morning in the summer of 2007 he enthusiastically told his girlfriend: ‘Honey I will become an artist, whatever that may be.’ And then found out that he had been all these years already.
He mixed paint with his favorite drink diet-Coke and grabbed pieces of cardboard. Dutch quality newspaper de Volkskrant called his art: ‘Cardboard throw-art which reminiscences the work of Jean Michel Basquiat, in his best days though.’
A year after Gaby’s legendary words to his loved-one he was where he wanted to be. His unique style and methods did not go by unnoted by people in the art world. Still Gaby is choosing to walk his own path.
He does not describe it as a ‘signature’ but experts and fans love his innovative work: there are no compromises; it is strange and contemporary but also futuristic.
As a child of the eighties Gaby is addicted to trends, fashion and pop culture. So his art represents Gaby’s outlook on cult, music, art, icons and nostalgia.
He works with all kinds of material (paint, felt-tips, sugar, coke, tape) in different ways (stapling, painting, gluing) on different backgrounds. It outreaches beyond the common canvas, he uses everything he thinks is possible: on ripped cardboard, sneakers, clothes, action figures, etcetera.
Gaby is also very aware of the internet and all it has to offer. You can call Gaby a real artist 2.0.
Twitter /
Facebook /
Flickr /
YouTube Gaby is very active on all these sites. In progress photo’s of his work and video’s of his project it’s all there. There is “almost” nothing that he doesn’t share.
Gaby says: ‘What I create must go into the world.’ And in the past year Gaby has been working hard to get his work into that world, with shows in New York (twice
1 and
2 ) / Amsterdam /
Zurich /
Vienna /
Rotterdam Gaby is getting his name out there.
Besides showing his art at shows he also does a lot of projects. In Las Vegas Gaby left
777 art pieces on the streets. And to fight against the stigma surrounding Dyslexia he is doing a project called “Dyslexcity”.
He is most know for his Tour de France project in 2009 where he painted a tribute to Lance Armstrong on the last climb of stage 16. This was noticed by the international press, Nike and even by Lance Armstrong himself. To be continued.
Finally he was approached by the Tour de France organization for a even bigger project during the Tour de France of 2010. This time the project was 3 weeks and Gaby painted 11 pieces on the mountains of the Tour de France. The project was picked up by the international news media.
Because of this
Tour de France project Gaby is approach by brands and stores from all over the world for collaborations. Sinner was one of the first to pick him up with a amazing snowboard set that Gaby designed.
In November last year Gaby opened in a gallery in Soho New York and in February of 2012 he will have his firt
big Solo show in Dubai.