“What’s Yo Life Like?”: an artist’s journey at ARC Amsterdam

Between May 31st and June 12th, ARC Amsterdam Gallery & Concept Space  presents “What’s Yo Life Like?”, an exhibition featuring several works by Naderson Saint Pierre. These artworks are the culmination of Naderson's recent - and first - residency experience in Europe. 

Naderson completed a two-week residency at La Maison de Beaumont in the south of France, where he produced nine new pieces. Following this, he travelled to Amsterdam where ARC Amsterdam collaborated with Tilla Tec, a newly established creative hub, to provide Naderson with a studio space. In return, the artist will paint a mural on one of Tilla Tec's walls and conduct live-painting events in the club’s restaurant and on the terrace. 

Naderson was born in Haiti and spent most of his childhood moving from one location to another due to his community coming apart as a result of a flood. The numerous moves brought him to New York City, where he found himself creating paintings while being homeless. “Within two years,” he explains, “I ended up in the south of France for a residency. It’s all a journey, and I have no idea where it is going.” Through all the challenges he faced, however, creating remained central to his life.

At the beginning of his residency, Naderson did not have any specific theme or goal to work towards. “I start from an idea, and then everything comes into place,” he explains a week before the exhibition opening. Still, he wanted to capture a specific environment within his work: “it’s going to be about the life of an artist, or the journey of the artist. I want to exhibit everything - even the sketches. People usually see the finished products but not the process or the mistakes that the artist makes.”

To help emulate the life of an artist, ARC Amsterdam arranged the exhibition to reflect an artist’s studio. The artworks are placed on the walls of the space with paper tape rather than frames, fully exposing the unframed canvases to the visitors. Furthermore, the loft area of the space was transformed to recreate Naderson’s studio space at Tilla Tec with paintbrushes, canvases, oils and paint tubes scattered across a large table and the floor. The “studio” space also serves to exhibit the imperfections, mistakes and unfinished works that are part of an artist’s life.

Naderson spent the opening event talking to the visitors of the exhibition, explaining his creative process and the results. A particularly astonishing revelation he made is that most of the artworks in the gallery are unfinished. “There is only one I would say is truly finished,” he says, “the others I would like to rework and add more layers to.” Still, the artworks were met with delight and awe. Most of the paintings represented portraits of artists, whether internationally recognized ones or figures from the artist’s life: “The best way to tell a story is through portraits.”

Naderson displayed a large array of styles and approaches to art - from vibrant colors to darker themes, depicting surrealism and cubism, and even emulating Van Gogh’s signature brushstrokes for a portrait. What ties all the work together, however, is the presence of small geometrical shapes in each of them. “Regardless of the style I create, the triangles and circles are always there,” he explains.

Naderson’s approach to art is more than perceiving it as a profession or a gift. “It’s more than just talent,” he details, “You need to be fully committed and disciplined. It’s a matter of dedication. If you want to be an artist, you have to make sure you love it, and know that it’s not always going to look pretty.” The nuances of an artist’s life are therefore displayed at ARC Amsterdam.

Located in the Jordaan district, ARC Amsterdam is a vibrant creative community. Guided by Jeanette Zuurbier, a 30-year creative industry veteran, ARC assists creatives in developing their personal brands and commercial potential. ARC uses the space beyond the art environment, offering companies seminars, brainstorming sessions, workshops, private exhibit viewings, and creative team outings. It therefore can be described as a small-scale Gallery & Concept Space for events, pop-ups, and networking.

The community welcomes any creative, from visionary artists to chefs and to musicians. The gallery aims to promote relationships and collaborations through the celebration of authenticity and support. Additionally, ARC is dedicated to empowering youth artists by providing venues for them to display their skills and make connections with other like-minded people.

You can contact ARC through Instagram or through Nico Graham by email.