Daan Holsmuller (1981) is fascinated by the transformation between the two- and three-dimensional, as displayed in his work, where layering and repetitive patterns play a central role. He counts animal behaviour, seventeenth century landscape painting, camouflage and evolution as major influences in his work. Somewhat of a Renaissance man, he is also engaged in the design and manufacturing of handmade everyday objects such as clothing and kitchen knives.
In 2009 Holsmuller held his first solo exhibition Disturbed Landscapes in the city of Amsterdam, where he has been based for the better part of his career. In the following years he held two more exhibitions, also in Amsterdam, respectively called Work in Progress and Mutations. In 2015 he created the artbook Color by Necessity, accompanied by an exhibition with the same name, about animal coloration which was made possible in part by a successful crowdfunding campaign. More recently he worked in Valencia where two further exhibitions, The Nichemasters and Nature of the State, were held.
In addition to painting he also owns Holsmuller Knives, where he designs and creates custom-made kitchen knives. Not pleased with the quality of his own cutlery he decided to take lessons from several blade smiths. He developed his own style, taking inspiration from traditional Japanese and European techniques. A craftsman in the traditional sense of the word, he insists on creating every part of the knife himself, which can take up to three days. (Available at Kookpunt Rotterdam & daanholsmuller.com > kitchen-knives)
