Jan Teunissen Nederlands, b. 1949

Born in 1949, he grew up in Zeelst, in the south of the Netherlands near Eindhoven. He lives and works in Best, also in North Brabant. Jan Teunissen is a self-taught artist through and through, and his work is characterised by a high degree of realism, with the subjects in his paintings often situated in a somewhat mystical, chiaroscuro atmosphere. Still lifes with images of utensils and foodstuffs such as bread and fruit. So lifelike, and rarely depicted larger than in real life, these paintings elicit comments and appreciations such as: ‘So real you could take a bite out of it,’ ‘You can smell what fruit it is,’ or ‘A worm could crawl out of that pear at any moment.’ By studying many works of art by old masters and experimenting with materials and subjects, Jan acquired the skill to create realistic paintings in a responsible and artistic manner. Jan Teunissen's paintings have been exhibited and sold in countries such as Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, New Zealand, Oman, Taiwan, Qatar and the US, as well as in the Netherlands.

In my paintings – oil on panel – I strive for the most realistic representation possible and focus primarily on details, light and reflections. The images in the paintings often depict everyday objects such as an old vase or shelf and fruit or flowers, usually from Jan's own garden.