Vertical Gallery, Collin van der Sluijs turn their gaze to ‘Observer’

Vertical Gallery, Chicago’s premier urban-contemporary art gallery, is very proud to present ‘Observer,’ a solo exhibit featuring Netherlands-based painter and muralist Collin van der Sluijs.

‘Observer’ — van der Sluijs’ fifth solo showcase at Vertical (2006 W. Chicago Ave #1R; enter via the alley off Damen) — brings together seven large-scale canvases and about a dozen smaller works on paper, propelling the category-defying artist’s dreamlike, deeply personal approach into new dimensions of visual and thematic complexity. ‘Observer’ runs July 5-27; van der Sluijs will attend the show’s opening reception, taking place at Vertical on Friday, July 5 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. 

“‘Observer’ is how I see myself. If I’m in a city, I see walls to paint. When I’m in the countryside, I want to do watercolors. And when I’m in the studio, I want to take my time with paintings,” van der Sluijs says. “This show is about adapting to different situations and exploring different mediums —  challenging yourself, making mistakes in the process, and refusing to walk the easy road.”

Vertical owner and curator Patrick Hull first encountered van der Sluijs’ work in 2013 while traveling across Europe, and soon invited him to participate in the gallery’s one-year anniversary show in April 2014. “Collin is a member of the Vertical family, and we are thrilled to have him return to the gallery for his fifth solo show,” Hull says. “Chicago has become his second home. He’s visited eight times for solo shows, group shows and wall projects, and many of his murals are still viewable in the city. Come explore what he has created for this show.”

Van der Sluijs began writing graffiti at the age of 11, and spent the following decade studying a range of creative disciplines before earning a Master’s degree in fine art in 2004 from the St. Joost Academy of Art and Design. Van der Sluijs has since exhibited in galleries across Europe and the U.S., and painted murals in locations including Amsterdam and Maastricht in The Netherlands; The Hague and Leuven in Brussels; Berlin, Germany; and the most recent in Laon, France.

Collin van der Sluijs
'Observer'
July 5 - 27, 2024
Opening reception: Friday July 5th, 5:00-8:00pm
Vertical Gallery, 2006 W Chicago Ave #1R