Artist
Netherlands . Chile. Italy
Whoever sees one of Seguel’s canvas, is drawn first off by the remarkable use of color hues. The painter, who mixes his own pigments, works with many transparent layers and reaches luminous, brilliant tones. "I paint a lot on the floor because I throw the colors on the canvas," says Seguel. Laughing: "A bit like the Pope sprinkling with holy water."
For Seguel paintings have a life of its own, originated earlier rather than consciously making them. "I do not want to be my picture too much. I can never lay a finger on why I paint. Painting is like life."
Yet his life and especially the many trips have influenced his art. So he went as a student often to the Atacama desert in Chile, where he was inspired by the delicate tints of the landscape. "The Atacama has colors like a watercolor. When I think back, I can still see the two volcanoes and mountains in the background." Seguel describes his paintings as a little "contemplative, almost oriental" and painting as an "inner voyage, an attempt to cultivate a rich journey. "For example, I cannot paint if it is not going good with me. You need to have peace with yourself to paint. And believe!"
Saskia Bosch
Saskia Bosch is a freelance journalist for NOS and Trouw in The Netherlands.
