Sjaak Kooij: A little mischief, a different reality | NETHERLANDS

Some faces invite you to look. Others seem to look straight back. Dutch artist Sjaak Kooij creates a world of curious characters: woodland spirits, masked figures and fantastical creatures with personalities that hover between the endearing and the unsettling.

Working across painting, ceramics and textiles, Sjaak draws on folklore, mythology and the theatre of everyday life. His approach to clay retains a painter’s sensitivity to colour and surface, while fabric adds softness and contrast. Humour runs through these encounters, alongside questions of identity: one face may hold several selves, and appearances rarely tell the whole story.

At The Winter Salon, we welcome Sjaak and his imaginative world with a touch of mischief among the beautiful objects, and an invitation to let curiosity take the lead.