Clemens Briels

Holland  Netherlands 1946

Born in Holland in 1946, Clemens Briels, Dutch Pop artist, does not play by the rules. He systematically transforms the commonplace into a creative cavalcade of original symbolism. With colors that defy the ordinary and a refreshing lack of respect for the academic straightjacket of perspective, he creates an environment that is totally foreign yet so familiar that you feel as if you have been there. His own vision, antipodism, is his personal fourth dimension in which every existence has a direct and opposite existence. It is this vision that is translated onto the canvas.

Briels’ use of paper and cardboard on the canvas furnish the depth he desires. Sometimes it is as though it is sanded and filled as he applies color upon color. Undercoats are visible here and there, giving a special patina. His rich interpretations are fascinating. His world is one of color where the artist conceptualizes his experiences into naturally spontaneous, beautiful images of unending possibilities.

After years in the world of advertising design, Clemens Briels abandoned his former creative life as design director, in search of new challenges of expression. Briels translates his experiences in the Orient, the Caribbean and North and South America. These moments on his travels furnish him with the titles he so likes to transform into images. The traditional music of Central and South America is another almost inexhaustible source of inspiration for the artist.

Briels is definitely multi-Briels. He refuses to limit himself to painting on canvas. He also uses alternatives to two-dimensional expressions. He designed dining tables chairs for Leolux, fabric design for Ford Ka’s upholstery, and vases hand-blown in the Czech Republic. After exhibiting in many countries including Malaysia, The Dutch Antilles, Germany, the Netherlands, and Paris, he is now enjoying a breakthrough across the United States.

Clemens Briels was one of the official artists of the 2002 Winter Olympics (Salt Lake City). His painting, “A Jump of Joy”, was seen by enthusiasts around the world and collected as a limited edition 3-D Serigraph.