Tours 
One of the artists exhibiting at the Blind Walls Gallery Gallery this year is Rutger Termohlen (1977), a loyal resident of Breda, as he describes himself. In his studio, he talks about his artistry and upcoming exhibition.
Rutger’s studio feels like his second home to him. “As a child, you built a hut, where you wanted to go every day. That’s what this place is like for me,” he says. The ideas he comes up with on the street come to life in his studio. The city serves as one big source of inspiration for Rutger, who comes from an artistic family and has been creative and experimenting a lot since a young age.
In the space you will find many drawings, sketches and books. “From childhood I had a reasonable collecting habit, especially pictures. To some, that’s trash but I love it,” Rutger says. He finds and buys the pictures from all sorts of places. His show in the Gallery is largely inspired by old advertisements and images from Breda.
Photo by Rosa Meininger
By using old pictures from Kwatta, De Drie Hoefijzers and Hero, for example, Rutger establishes links to Breda’s visual culture in his work. “From my grandmother I got collection books with pictures of birds that used to come with candy rolls from the Faam. I put my own spin on that,” Rutger says. This is also how the logo of the first Chinese restaurant in Breda returns.
Making a painting or a mural both starts with sketches. For Rutger, art on the street is not very different from art at home, both generate a lot of reach: “In both places it is seen. But a canvas is very personal, it becomes someone’s property.” Several murals are planned for the coming year, including some abroad.
It has been a long time since Rutger held a solo exhibition in his own city. With his recognizable style, he brings a piece of street culture inside, where choice of materials and use of color always arise very intuitively. The works take you into Rutger’s world, his love for the city and passion for collecting. This exhibition is Breda at heart; just like the artist himself.
Photo by Rosa Meininger
Rutger Termohlen’s exhibition can be visited from April 7 to June 11, 2023.