I am fascinated by people – why we choose to gather, what food we share, which outfits we enjoy. I simply observe, and my observations can fit any period. The spontaneity of such occasions intrigue me, as individuals dress up, place a bottle of their favourite wine on the table, and effortlessly start to talk. I watch. I stare. I also wonder about events before and after the moment I have caught on canvas. Because the image itself is only the start of a longer conversation. That is why I prefer real contact with my subjects, whether they are strangers or my friends. People may have come together on impulse, or the tableau may be staged. Once the group is together, the occasion generates its own unique discussions, expressions, atmosphere, authenticity. Even when lodged in our history, it will resonate today.

I love history and especially enjoy artists like Lovis Corinth, Gustave Courbet and Paula Rego. When I am not painting I like watching movies. Often during painting I will play a movie in the background for inspiration.

Roeland was born in the Netherlands in 1978 and graduated at the Royal Art Academy in ‘s Hertogenbosch in 2004. Roeland has had several exhibitions in the Netherlands, but also in Belgium, France, Poland and the USA.