News — Collin Van Der Sluijs

Joy Machine and Vertical Gallery are excited to share their first collaborative exhibition, Wanderland by Collin van der Sluijs. This marks the artist’s sixth solo exhibition in Chicago and more than a decade in partnership with Vertical Gallery. It’s his first presentation at Joy Machine.

Wanderland comprises a new body of work developed during a two-year period. Spanning enormous mixed-media paintings, intimate drawings, and skate decks bearing the artist’s signature birds, the exhibition reflects both the momentous and mundane, particularly loss, grief, and the therapeutic powers of nature.

A portmanteau of wander and wonderland, the title evokes van der Sluijs’ continued devotion to imagining a vast, dreamlike ecosystem. For the past decade, he’s produced various bodies of work as a sort of world-building exercise, intuitively selecting a blend of oil paint, acrylic, watercolor, and more to render dynamic still lifes and portraits of figures subsumed by chaos. Wanderland continues in this vein, once again presenting hazy bouquets that allude to the artist’s Dutch heritage and a melange of symbols and markings referencing his background in street art. "Collin works in such a wide range of styles—like a modern twist on classical painting, with graffiti and illustration mixed in," Patrick Hull, Vertical’s owner and curator, shares. 

Each collection emerges through a lengthy process of trial and error, and often, van der Sluijs will work on a piece for years, even turning it around to face the wall periodically to provide a brief respite while in his studio. “I really need to make big mistakes and fight my way out of it,” he adds. In this way, cultivating wonder and an unceasing desire to explore his inner emotional and external landscapes is an essential part of the process.  Wanderland is about “a walk to the visual world that you create around yourself, like wandering around. But it's also like diving into the unknown.”

Following a collection of darker pieces made in the early years of the pandemic, Wanderland emerges with more levity and hope, albeit not without difficulty and grief. While working toward the exhibition, the artist broke his ankle, rendering it impossible for him to stand while painting larger canvases hanging on the wall. Instead, he had to sit, stretching himself across the horizontal surfaces and contending with a novel, challenging mode of making.

And despite his physical limitations, van der Sluijs also spent more time venturing outdoors during the last two years. Making small works on paper amid natural settings was a sort of balm in processing the recent death of a friend. “All those personal stories, they make the context of a show,” he adds.

To celebrate more than a decade of collaborations, Vertical Gallery published a book commemorating the occasions, titled Wanderland: 1991-2026. Its pages juxtapose the artist’s exploits as a painter, muralist, and graffiti writer with the more personal moments that define his roles as husband, son, father, and friend. 

Wanderland runs from July 10 to August 22. An opening reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on July 10. The artist will be present.

Collin van der Sluijs: ‘Wanderland’
July 10 – Aug. 22
Opening reception: Friday July 10, 6:00-9:00pm
Joy Machine, 4148 N. Elston Ave., Chicago

REQUEST THE COLLECTOR'S PREVIEW HERE

Five Questions with… Vertical Gallery’s Patrick Hull

It’s shaping up to be a busy summer for Vertical Gallery, highlighted by the biennial return of longtime favorite Collin van der Sluijs. ’Wanderland,’ Collin’s sixth solo show in Chicago, runs July 10 through Aug. 22 in partnership with Irving Park’s Joy Machine Gallery, accompanied by the release of the Dutch painter, muralist and graffiti writer’s first comprehensive career retrospective book. Vertical’s third-quarter slate also includes the debut American print release from UK mosaic maker Florist as well as ‘Ascending,’ a globe-trotting group show spotlighting the next generation of artists poised to take over your walls. Vertical owner Patrick Hull reveals all in the latest installment of our web-exclusive Five Questions with… series.  

Question 1: What can you tell us about Collin van der Sluijs’ ‘Wanderland’? 

Patrick Hull: It's gonna be a beautiful exhibition. It’s a wide range of work in Collin’s signature style, and if you think you know what to expect based on his earlier solo shows, think again.

There’s something for everyone in this show, including a selection of small drawings starting around $300, some mid-sized canvases and what Collin calls BACs — “big-ass canvases” — priced up to $15,000. A couple of the BACs are inspired by his small, mixed-media watercolor drawings, but these are giant versions that he calls “Watercolor XLs.” There are also two skate decks, along with a whole series of small paintings that kind of blend in with them. Collin painted on skate decks back in the day, and this is the first time he’s returned to that. 

We first showed Collin back in 2016, and we keep bringing him back every two years. (The photo above is from our first meeting in Brussels 11 years ago; he's on the right, I'm on the left.) As soon as Collin finishes one show, we plan another, and he starts working on it — in fact, he began one of the drawings and one of the paintings in ‘Wanderland’ right after he got home from Chicago in 2024. He starts on something, adds layers of oil paint or mixed media or whatever it is, and just lets it form over time. 

Question 2: What else do you have in store to make this exhibit one for the ages?

We’re publishing a monograph, ‘Wanderland: 1991-2026.’ It’s the first comprehensive book of Collin’s career. It's a really personal project for him: It goes back to the very beginning, when he first discovered graffiti, and continues all the way up to this current exhibition. Almost all of the wall murals that he's done over time are included, and he contributes commentary on many different projects. It’s a really exciting book — [writer] Jason Ankeny and I have been working on it for close to a year. 

‘Wanderland: 1991-2026’ is a 180-page, full-color hardcover, strictly limited to 175 copies total. The regular version of the book is priced at $85. There’s also a deluxe version limited to 30 copies. It’s the same physical book, only it’s signed by Collin and includes an original watercolor drawing. It's a really great way to get one of his originals, and each buyer gets to pick the drawing they want. You also get a signed mini-print. 

The deluxe edition is priced at $275. If you do the math, the book itself is $85, and if you were to buy a small original drawing from Collin, it would cost you $250. Something like the signed mini-print would cost around $50. So it’s a $385 value that you are getting for $275. 

We started the pre-order on June 4, and we only have a few copies of the deluxe edition remaining. People who pre-order can pick up their copies at Joy Machine when the ‘Wanderland’ show opens Friday, July 10, or we’ll begin shipping them out July 9, once Collin arrives in Chicago to sign them. 

Question 3: Just before ‘Wanderland’ opens, Vertical is releasing a limited-edition screenprint from a UK artist named Florist. What do we need to know? 

Florist is a London-based mosaic street artist who’s found his own unique style. I followed him on social media before connecting with him through Patrick Coulson at Always Art, which provides Florist’s certificates of authenticity. Patrick thought Florist and Vertical would be a really good match, and after discussing ways we could work together, we’ll be releasing our first collaboration on July 1. 

Florist’s screenprint is titled “Stars, Stripes and Stems,” and it celebrates 250 years of the USA. It’s kind of funny that we’re working with a British artist to commemorate our country’s anniversary, but he's come up with a really fun image. It’s printed by Chicago’s own POP!NK Editions, and Florist found a great way to make his style work in a screenprint format.  

Question 4: Vertical returns to Chicago in September for ‘Ascending,’ a group show presented at Frame Chicago in Lincoln Park. Where did the title originate, and what does it mean in this context?

When you’re looking for a name for a group show, it's always a challenge if there’s no specific theme. Nowadays, the word “emerging” is used a lot for up-and-coming artists, and then there's “established” when somebody is well-known and further into their career. The title ‘Ascending’ implies these are artists moving to the next level, whatever that level is within their career. They’re all on the rise. I really feel like “ascending” should be the word or category for many of the artists that we work with. 

We will have 45 artists in this show, each doing two works sized 11 inches by 14 inches. There'll be some names everyone will know from the long-term Vertical family of artists, but there are works from several new artists, too, including two originals from Florist — his first time exhibiting in a U.S. gallery. 

It’s a great group of artists. To me, these are must-haves for every collection. We're really excited. 

Question 5: How will you wrap up 2026? 

We are returning to Aqua Art Miami in December, and then we have a couple of projects already lined up for the first quarter of 2027, including a very special project with Flog and a solo show with Jerome Tiunayan. We’re also planning our 14th anniversary show. There’s a lot in the works. 

When Maastricht, Netherlands’ Bonnefanten Museum approached Collin van der Sluijs to participate in October’s kids-focused installment of its Free Fridays series, the painter and muralist suggested keeping things simple. 

The Bonnefanten had other ideas.

“I volunteered to do a watercolor painting workshop, but [the Bonnefanten team] said ‘We want you to paint a wall,’” explains Collin, the Maastricht local who’s one of 13 artists exhibiting with Vertical Gallery at this year’s Aqua Art Miami. “I said ‘Well, I have to get acrylics and brushes. How many kids can I expect — about 60 or 70?’ And they said ‘Last time, it was close to 900, and this time, we expect more.’ Riding my bike back home, I thought ‘What did I get myself into?’”  

In fact, roughly 3,000 visitors turned out for the Free Fridays event, which coincided with the launch of the Kinderkunstuitleen, a new children’s library allowing Bonnefanten patrons between the ages of four and 12 to borrow works of art (including some of Collin’s) to hang at home. “It opened at 5:00 p.m., and within five minutes, there were 25 kids — and then it doubled. One family waited more than an hour in line,” Collin says. “It was hectic, man. I was totally dead when I finished.” 

Collin’s professional relationship with the rocket-shaped Bonnefanten stretches back to 2006, when he was commissioned to paint all the pillars on the building’s ground floor. He’s also a regular visitor to the museum, which showcases historic, modern and contemporary works from across the globe. 

Collin painted his contributions to the Free Fridays mural in the hours before the Bonnefanten opened to the public. His subject: the grey heron, the long-legged wading bird commonly sighted on museum grounds thanks to the neighboring Maas, the 575-mile-long river that gives Maastricht its name. “I’ve painted many herons before,” he says. “I didn’t want to make it too hard on myself.”

Collin brought with him 80 acrylic markers to distribute among the Free Fridays attendees. “You can’t have that many kids working with brushes and buckets of water, because too much stuff drops on the floor,” he says. “We did it like a theme park — five kids in and five kids out, every few minutes. The biggest fear was that some kid might take one of the markers into the museum and draw mustaches on all the portraits, so we placed a big cardboard box near the exit, and when the kids were done, they put the caps back on and dropped everything in, so the next five could come in. That went on for four hours straight.” 

Collin imposed few restrictions on his young collaborators — a fitting modus operandi for an artist whose work emerges spontaneously, from the deepest reaches of his subconscious.

“They asked me ‘What do we have to draw?’ and I said ‘Whatever you want to draw.’ I wasn’t going to tell them ‘You have to paint around the heron,’” Collin says. “After 30 minutes, it was completely out of my hands, and by the time we were done, the heron had a mustache, and there was shit written all over its beak. The tallest kid wrote ‘I really like fish’ at the very top, with an arrow pointing down to the heron. One even added the 6-7 meme from TikTok. Whatever they wanted to do, they did. Some of the kids blacked out the heron’s eye, though, and when they went away, I fixed it. I really wanted to keep the eye — it’s the only thing on the wall that looks at you. You need that visual connection.”  

Don’t go looking for the heron the next time you visit the Bonnefanten, however. The mural was painted on a temporary wall, and painted over less than 72 hours later. But the memories are permanent. 

“By the time I got home, I had 30 or 40 Instagram messages from people thanking me,” Collin says. “I had a big smile on my face. What a day.” 

Vertical Gallery will feature 12 new works on paper from Collin van der Sluijs (@collinvandersluijs) at Aqua Art Miami, which runs December 3-7. Email sales@verticalgallery.com for the collector preview.  

Vertical Gallery is very excited to return to the Miami Art Fairs! We will be returning to the AQUA Art Fair this year with an all-star group show featuring: ADi (AU), 2CHOEY (TH), Jake and Josh (US), Steve Seeley (US), Flog (FR), Laura Catherwood (US), Louis (Masai) Michel (UK), Collin van der Sluijs (NL), Sergio Farfán (US), and Blake Jones (US).

VIEW THE SHOW HERE

ADi is an Australian contemporary artist renowned for creating totemic wooden assemblages that explore society's fixation on popular culture, brand recognition, and nostalgia. His distinctive works, often referred to as "false idols" or pop cultural artefacts, reimagine traditional religious iconography, positioning modern cultural symbols as new-age deities in place of the ancient worship of nature and gods. His practice uniquely intersects sculpture and designer toy art, extending into modern interior and object design, offering a fresh take on the cultural artefacts of our time.

2CHOEY is a Bangkok based self-taught artist. With a background is in Urban Architecture, 2CHOEY was an art director in an ad agency. He soon started selling paintings and realized he enjoyed painting more than working in advertising. 2CHOEY’s signature characters, ‘Fingies’, reinterprets pop culture icons within the framework of hands, fists and fingers in his playful and very unique style. Vertical presented his first USA solo show in 2023, and also presented a solo show at the Urban Art Fair in Paris.

Flog discovered a passion for drawing at an early age. He studied graphic design at the Pivaut Nantes school and made it his profession, finding his balance in producing work from illustration to the publishing world. Inspired by graffiti and pop culture, Flog's mixed media technique- aerosol spray, acrylic, and oil on road signs or canvas- reveals precision in the details. Flog’s show with Vertical at SCOPE Miami sold out in 2023. He has also had sold-out shows in Paris, Rome, and Taiwan.

Jake and Josh are a dynamic duo of twin artists who have captivated audiences with their unique blend of creativity and sibling synergy. Their work often explores the intersection of playful storytelling and creative line work, resulting in thought-provoking pieces. Their intricate attention to detail and meticulous craftsmanship invite viewers to immerse themselves in the layers of meaning within each work.

Laura Catherwood is a Chicago-based painter focused on delicately emotive illustration of plants, animals, and quiet creatures. The sense of an intimate, mysterious narrative in her work invites contemplation and extends empathy to the viewer. With soft textures and sensitive gestures, she diagrams our ambiguous feelings toward the natural order of things.

Louis (Masai) Michel is a UK-based painter, sculptor and muralist. He uses his art in the form of murals, paintings and installations as a way to highlight climate change and species equality. The subject or species, is created in the style of a cuddly plush toy, thus highlighting that if one doesn't preserve the existence of the species depicted, only toys and souvenirs will remain. Within the composition of the species are intricate details exploring cultural fabrics, popular culture and elements of conservation. 

Collin van der Sluijs is a renowned painter and illustrator from Maastricht, The Netherlands, where he lives and works. He is widely recognized for his extraordinary dream-like depictions of everyday stories that question our personal pleasures and struggles, as well as society at large. Collin’s exceptional work has been published in magazines and books, and shown in galleries across the world—in The Netherlands, Germany, France, England, Belgium, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, and USA.

Sergio Farfán blends the experiences from his hometown in Peru with the life he’s lived in Chicago to create works that focus on the struggles, dreams, and emotions that people go through in their life. Farfán began to draw as a form of therapy as he struggled through his anxiety. Whatever was troubling him or whenever he just wanted to forget what was going on in the world around him, he found refuge in his art and would draw his favorite cartoon characters he would see on TV.  

Steve Seeley is an artist whose work draws inspiration from a wide range of pop culture sources including superheroes, celebrities, cartoons and comic books. Technically gifted, his artistic practice spans multiple media with a fresh sense of experimentation. His work has been exhibited throughout the US and is held in private collections worldwide.

Blake Jones is a Chicago based artist. Blake’s use of graphic line work and bright color palettes illustrates narratives of complex worlds inhabited by his own iconic characters, objects, and landscapes. Blake’s work has been exhibited in multiple mediums and forms such as print, paintings, gallery exhibitions, sculptures, and murals.

Aqua Art Miami at the Aqua Hotel
1530 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Vertical Gallery Room 107

VIP Preview:
Wednesday, December 4 | 3pm-10pm

Public Hours:
Thursday, December 5 | 12pm - 9pm
Friday, December 6 | 11am - 9pm
Saturday, December 7 | 11am - 9pm
Sunday, December 8 | 11am - 6pm

A collector's preview will be sent out Saturday November 30th. Email us to be added to the preview list. Note: Some works will be available in-person only. If you need a VIP pass for the fair, please email us.

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