🥇 Winner: Best Of 2022

Studio Giftig

<div>Kaspar van Leek (1983, Philipsburg, SX) en Niels van Swaemen (1981, Eindhoven, NL) specialize in photorealistic paintings and murals, often with a surrealistic twist.&nbsp;<br>Kaspar and Niels met in 2007, when both of them were already active in street art for some time. In 2007 the first collaboration projects were picked up and a vacant warehouse served as base for their studio. Within this warehouse there was a storage room for toxic substances and chemicals, where they kept their paint and spray cans. The name Studio Giftig refers to this storage room (because giftig is the Dutch translation of Toxic). In 2012 the duo decided to fully devote themselves to murals.&nbsp;<br>They were asked by CVB Ecologistics to paint a mural about what the company stands for.&nbsp;<br><br>Sustainability, circularity and seeing waste as a raw material are hot items. Recycling old paper reduces CO2 emissions by 90% compared to new production from wood. Recycling plastics prevents large quantities from entering the environment. So for both raw materials, reuse is much more sustainable. CVB Ecologistics is the link between suppliers of recyclable raw materials and the manufacturing industry. The letters CVB in the company name stand for the initials of founder Cees van Berkel. From 1994, he built a company that now operates internationally. The family business got big with collecting and processing paper, but now also focuses on other recyclable waste streams. Plastic products collected and processed by the company are reused for the production of e.g. plant pots.&nbsp;</div>

Country Manager

Trashure

<p>Studio Giftig was founded in early 2007 by Kaspar van Leek and Niels van Swaemen.<br>All through diversity and specialization in, among other things, illustrations and murals.</p><p>In addition to the art academy and their experience as designers in the graphic world, both have a background and years of experience in the field of illustration and graffiti.<br>At the beginning of 2007 it was decided to make serious work of it and that is how Studio Giftig was created.<br>In a short time, Studio Giftig has been able to carry out many projects for both companies and individuals.<br>The diversity and specialization in, among other things, illustrations, wall paintings, graffiti and the work on canvas offer numerous opportunities for potential clients.</p>

Out of the cage

<div>Mural made by the boys of Studio Giftig.</div>

Eternal Love

<div>Studio Giftig painted this beautiful image on a heat pump station near the Reeshof neighbourhood. In the design (commissioned by Ennatuurlijk) the red clouded skye and the leaves and owls are a reference to warmth and nature.<br>83% of the heat network (district heating) in Tilburg is currently supplied by the RWE power station (aka Amer power station).<br>A lot of heat is released during the production of electricity. Part of that heat is extracted and used by Ennatuurlijk to heat homes and businesses. This is more sustainable than traditionally generated heat and is an important contribution to the transition to clean and sustainable energy in the Netherlands.<br><br>Kaspar van Leek (1983, Philipsburg St. Maarten) en Niels van Swaemen (1981, Eindhoven) are the founders of Studio Giftig, an urban artist duo based in the Netherlands. They specialize in photorealistic paintings and murals, often with a surrealistic twist. Each work they make is unique, because they photograph their own models to use for their paintings.<br>Kaspar and Niels met in 2007, when both of them were already active in street art for some time. From 2007 the first collaboration projects were picked up and a vacant warehouse served as base for their studio. Within this warehouse there was a storage room for toxic substances and chemicals, where they kept their paint and spray cans. The name Studio Giftig refers to this storage room (because giftig in Dutch means Toxic). In 2012 they decided to fully devote themselves to murals.</div>

The call of the owls.

<div>Painted as part of Hit the North 2023 with Hennessy<br><br>The artists say...<br><br>Fresh Belfast spring wind as the sign of a new beginning. Just like the flax flower which also symbolizes a new start. Tradition is that flax plants are given to newlyweds to honor their new home.<br><br>This mural on a former linen mill shows the flax flowers from which linen is made<br><br>@<a href="https://www.instagram.com/studiogiftig/"><strong>studiogiftig</strong></a></div>

Hunter

In Your Face - Belfast Spring

<div>Based upon a song of Dutch rapper Fresku, Studio Giftig made a mural in their Music &amp; Murals Series.</div>

Motion

<p>Dancing Skeleton. Amazing piece by the Dutch duo <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/studiogiftig/">Studio Giftig</a> for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/mosbelgium/">Meeting of Styles Belgium</a><br>2017 edition.</p>

Meeting of Styles 2017 - Dance of the Dead

Niels van Swaemen

Kaspar van Leek

<div>Real life size Spiderman in the Bergen area in Eindhoven</div>

Spiderman

<p>Music is the universal language connecting people and cultures, regardless of their background or situation. The mural on the facade of the Eindhoven Concert  Hall portrays the merger of two worlds: an embrace between a street musician and a concert violinist. The artwork symbolizes the power of music to break down barriers and unite communities.<br></p>

Echoes of Harmony

The calm before the storm.

<div>A mural commissioned by UMBRO for PSV Eindhoven.</div><div>Artwork by Studio Giftig.</div>

Eendracht maakt macht

<div>Very realistic street art of a man on a ladder by Studio Giftig</div>

Man op ladder

<div>Mural made by Studio Giftig, inspired by the Silly Walk sketch from Monty Python.</div><div><br>Fun fact: the tunnel was opened by mr. John Cleese himself.</div>

Silly Walk

<p>Roesia de Verdun, an extraordinary woman in 13th century Ireland, defied conventions as a warrior, nun, and castle builder. Her legend lives on through the infamous ‘murder window’ where she threw the architect whom she promised to marry in exchange for building her the castle. The three swallows of the town’s coat of arms combined with the roses symbolize her legacy in Dundalk.</p><p>Part of the SEEK Urban Arts Festival, centred on promoting contemporary urban art in Dundalk, Ireland. By commissioning established and emerging artists locally, nationally and internationally, we aim to promote the town culturally and artistically, repositioning the area as a vibrant hub for creativity.&nbsp;</p><p>SEEK 2023 will highlight the important influence art can have in the public domain, its role as a catalyst for change, helping reinvigorate and refresh some of our town centre spaces. The themes behind the artwork will be instrumental in telling Dundalk's story and connect people to our history and heritage.</p>

Roesia de Verdun

Telmo Miel

Klaas Lageweg

deeffeed

Gomad

James Jetlag

Mr. JUNE

Smates

Jan is de Man

Dopie.dsk

<div>These old silo's used to be a factory and storage place for cattle food. Now they are an eye catcher at this festival ground. Today they serve as a canvas for artist at the Kings of Color Festival, more info at http://kingsofcolors.com/&nbsp;</div>

Tramkade Silo's for Kings of Colors festival 2016

<div>An inside and outside mural by Studio Giftig; might be a bit of a search to find. ;)</div>

The green chip stream

<div><strong>“A floating woman in a dove coloured cloth, blending with pigeons, whereby the pigeons are used as a symbol for freedom and the city of Amsterdam.”<br></strong><br></div><div>Dutch duo <a href="http://www.studiogiftig.nl/">Studio Giftig</a> conquer the Netherlands and soon the world with their photo-realistic work. They always photograph their own models, resulting in a picture perfect style. They are true public favorites. <a href="https://www.amsterdamstreetart.com/if-walls-could-speak/">If Walls Could Speak</a> resulted in a wide variety of stories within the theme ‘<strong><em>Amsterdam for Everybody</em></strong>‘. But the artists have one thing in common: for them Amsterdam stands for freedom, believing in yourself, nostalgia and fraternization.<br><br>“The theme Amsterdam for Everybody to us means: Freedom for each individual in each possible way. We brought together this two typically Amsterdam associations together in one design. We painted a floating woman in a dove colored cloth, floating among the pigeons. The pigeons stand as a symbol for freedom and the city of Amsterdam. The floating lady resembles the same. Because she is floating, she is not attached to any obligations or expectations. She feels one with the pigeons and slowly takes on their colour.”</div>

Floating between Freedom

<div>Studio Giftig est composé du duo d'artistes néerlandais Niels van Swaemen (1981, Eindhoven) et Kaspar van Leek (1983, Philipsburg St. Maarten).<br>Le langage visuel caractéristique du Studio Giftig a, en plus de la qualité des peintures comme élément typique, que toutes les images sont conçues de manière autonome. Reconnaissable par le processus dans lequel ils travaillent est la façon dont ils traduisent leurs propres concepts personnels en photographiant les objets et les modèles eux-mêmes. C'est ainsi qu'ils assurent une autonomie totale au sein de leur langage visuel comme point de départ de leurs peintures. Actuellement, Studio Giftig a réussi à développer son propre langage visuel au sein de l'art urbain avec lequel il réalise son travail autonome ainsi que pour des galeries et des clients de premier plan.<br>La chute des fleurs de Lisianthus fait référence à l'effet théâtral d'applaudissements ou d'acclamations. Le Lisanthus symbolise l'appréciation et la gratitude. Les personnes représentées sont une infirmière expérimentée et un médecin, qui, ensemble, dépeignent l'impact, le dévouement et l’aspect humain du travail dans le domaine de la santé. La flèche pointe vers la gauche, comme par le passé une flèche pointant vers la gauche référée en symbolique/spirituelle contexte pour conjurer le mal.&nbsp;</div>

Caring Touch

Chas

Belin

Zenkone

<div>A huge mural with international artists that performed at Strijp-S like Die Antwoord, M.I.A., Peter Pan Speedrock, Motorhead and Fresku.</div>

The sound of Strijp-S

<div>Commissioned work for the city of Eindhoven.</div>

Handhoven

<div>Kaspar van Leek (1983, Philipsburg St. Maarten) en Niels van Swaemen (1981, Eindhoven) are the founders of Studio Giftig, an urban artist duo based in the Netherlands. They specialize in photorealistic paintings and murals, often with a surrealistic twist. Each work they make is unique, because they photograph their own models which they use for their paintings.</div><div>Kaspar and Niels met in 2007, when both of them were already active in street art for some time. From 2007 the first collaboration projects were picked up and a vacant warehouse served as base for their studio. Within this warehouse there was a storage room for toxic substances and chemicals, where they kept their paint and spray cans. The name Studio Giftig refers to this storage room (because giftig is the Dutch translation of Toxic).</div><div>In 2012 the duo decided to fully devote themselves to murals.<br>The creative school Sint Lucas in Boxtel wanted to show on the outside of the building that it's all about creativity, technology and craftsmanship. Studio Giftig created this with symbolic streams.</div>

Flow

<p>The pomegranate, or melagrana in Italian, symbolizes life and death. For centuries, Italian masters have incorporated it into their works to represent the eternal cycle of life. In this mural, an elderly woman gazes at the pomegranate, cradling it like a newborn, offering a powerful reflection on renewal and the passage of time</p>

Melagrana

<div>Powered by&nbsp; @kollektivet.livet and @wallstreetstockholm<br><br>Studio Giftig&nbsp; created a modern day version of Odin, who's nowadays used as a symbol within right-wing parties. To counter this, they portrayed Odin as a contemporary model for equality. His ravens fly around the world to tell him what is happening in the world. One of them whispers it in his ear, after which he takes a critical look at society. Amongst other references he is holding a book with the anti-racism icon on the cover.</div>

Crew

An eye on society

<p>Murals of Studio Giftig cover the entire gathering space of Virgin Hotel Edinburgh. The workd refers to Richard’s mother Eve Branson, with references to the strong women of the world, traveling, exploring space and the rich heritage of Scotland. </p>

<div>Studio Giftig painted the interior of Cafe Thomas.</div>

Thomas

<p>Beautiful mural on the car park of Diamant-group's headquarters in Tilburg. <br>Diamant-groep is a development and employment company for people with a distance to the labour market. It includes many different companies such as children's farms, the AFAC bicycle depot, clothes shop La Poubelle and the animal shelter. All these companies come together in this mural.<br>The 50-metre-long artwork was created especially for all Diamond Group employees.<br>The mural was created to show that the employees can be proud of themselves and of their work. <br><br>Artists Niels van Swaemen and Kaspar van Leek have had conversations with employees of Diamant-groep and from their personal stories they extracted elements that are reflected in the mural. <br><br>The main themes in the artwork are connection, trust, belonging and mattering. But also themes such as developing yourself, learning and passing on knowledge are to be found.<br>The artists hope that the artwork will also literally connect people. <br><br>Kaspar van Leek (1983, Philipsburg, SX) en Niels van Swaemen (1981, Eindhoven, NL) specialize in photorealistic paintings and murals, often with a surrealistic twist. <br>Kaspar and Niels met in 2007, when both of them were already active in street art for some time. In 2007 the first collaboration projects were picked up. In 2012 the duo decided to fully devote themselves to murals.</p><p>📍Zevenheuvelenweg 14 (but best visible from Jules de Beerstraat 9)</p>

Untitled

<p>For this mural, Studio Giftig was inspired by a painting from the collection of Het Noordbrabants Museum: The Temptation of St. Anthony by Jan Mandijn, a follower of Jheronimus Bosch. They translated the essence of this work into a contemporary version, centering on modern temptations chosen after discussions with local residents.</p><p></p><p>This painting is part of the Museum Murals project, a collaboratie between Studio Giftig and Het Noord Brabants museum.</p>

The Temptation 

<div>De held en de lul (The hero and the jerk)&nbsp;</div><div>The second painting for Music &amp; Murals was made in collaboration with Racoon, based on the song “De held en de lul”. The song is about a friendship between two different people. When one of them dies, it turns out that the differences between them may contain more similarities than previously thought. The mural can be found on the back of Podium 't Beest, where Racoon originated and which still forms a home base for the band.</div>

Music & Murals: the hero and the jerk

<div>Beautiful mural by Sudio Giftig at the former Heavens Kitchen in the Piushaven. Sadly the mural has been removed some years ago.<br><br>Kaspar van Leek (1983, Philipsburg St. Maarten) en Niels van Swaemen (1981, Eindhoven) are the founders of Studio Giftig, an urban artist duo based in the Netherlands. They specialize in photorealistic paintings and murals, often with a surrealistic twist. Each work they make is unique, because they photograph their own models to use for their paintings.<br>Kaspar and Niels met in 2007, when both of them were already active in street art for some time. From 2007 the first collaboration projects were picked up and a vacant warehouse served as base for their studio. Within this warehouse there was a storage room for toxic substances and chemicals, where they kept their paint and spray cans. The name Studio Giftig refers to this storage room (because giftig in Dutch means Toxic). In 2012 they decided to fully devote themselves to murals.</div>

HeAVENS KITCHEN

<div>Color to the City - Studio Giftig vs. Snelle<br><br>This artwork is part of the Music &amp; Murals project by Studio Giftig, in which the song 'Kleur' (Colour) ​​by Snelle served as a source of inspiration for a mural covering more than a hundred square meters. As of today, this work of art can be publicly admired at Deltalaan in Deventer.<br><br>Colour<br>In 'Colour' Snelle sings about how a loved one gives color to the city. Before the painting work started, the street art artists talked to Snelle about the origin and meaning of the number. Pleun's Rainbow Ice Cream was also discussed. This colorful ice cream was invented by 9-year-old Pleun Janssen from Deventer and is now sold throughout the country. For each ice cream sold, 50 cents are donated to medical research into Batten disease (cln3), the rare metabolic disease that Pleun suffers from. Snelle is a friend and ambassador of the Stichting voor Pleun and is committed to raising awareness of the disease. Studio Giftig has artistically incorporated all these elements into the impressive mural that has been created in the city in recent weeks, including a subtle 'easter egg' of the Regenboogijsje. During the unveiling, 200 rainbow ice creams were also handed out in the presence of Pleun.<br><br>In addition to the 3 Deventer models and the Rainbow Ice Cream, a number of other elements are hidden in this mural. At the top you see the Bergstraat and BergKerk, the flying pigeons also appear in the video clip of Kleur. The green leaves are from Deventer's oldest tree, a poplar 'De Bakenboom'. The street lantern is in the city center of Deventer. The bench where the boy with the Rainbow Ice Cream sits, the photo was taken on a bench next to this apartment. In addition to the 3 Deventer models and the Rainbow Ice Cream, a number of other elements are hidden in this mural. At the top you see the Bergstraat and BergKerk, the flying pigeons also appear in the video clip of "Kleur". The green leaves are from Deventer's oldest tree, a poplar 'De Bakenboom'. The street lantern is in the city center of Deventer. The bench where the boy with the Rainbow Ice Cream sits, the photo was taken on the bench next to this apartment.<br><br>Music &amp; Murals<br>This artwork is part of the web series Music &amp; Murals, in which Studio Giftig is inspired by the work of leading musicians from the Netherlands. The murals are created in the cities where the band or artist in question has its roots. Previous works by Studio Giftig include paintings by Di-rect in The Hague, Spinvis in Nieuwegein, Racoon in Goes, Typhoon, Sticks &amp; Rico (Opgezwolle) in Zwolle, Eva Simons in Amsterdam and Fresku in Eindhoven.<br><br>Woonbedrijf Ieder1 and the Municipality of Deventer thank you for making this possible!</div>

Music & Murals - Snelle Kleur

Moderator

Birds

<div>Kaspar van Leek (1983, Philipsburg St. Maarten) en Niels van Swaemen (1981, Eindhoven) are the founders of Studio Giftig, an urban artist duo based in the Netherlands. They specialize in photorealistic paintings and murals, often with a surrealistic twist. Each work they make is unique, because they photograph their own models which they use for their paintings.&nbsp;</div><div>Kaspar and Niels met in 2007, when both of them were already active in street art for some time. In 2007 the first collaboration projects were picked up and a vacant warehouse served as base for their studio. Within this warehouse there was a storage room for toxic substances and chemicals, where they kept their paint and spray cans. The name Studio Giftig refers to this storage room (because giftig is the Dutch translation of Toxic). In 2012 the duo decided to fully devote themselves to murals and in the following years they developed their unique painting style. In 2021 Studio Giftig started a new concept: Music &amp; Murals. A series of murals in collaboration with the greatest Dutch musicians, where the murals are based on songs from their repertoire.&nbsp;</div><div>This wall is the third painting for that project. In collaboration with Trotse Muren and musicians Typhoon and Sticks a mural on Poppodium Hedon was painted, based on the song "Verre oosten remix"&nbsp; (Far East Remix), a track in which the entire Fakkelbrigade (torch brigade) raps and represents the city of Zwolle. Verre oosten was written to give Hip Hop a different sound than the one that came from the Cities in the west at the time.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Typhoon: Imro Glenn Lubertus Emile de Randamie, better known by his stage name Typhoon, is a Dutch rapper/singer of Surinamese descent. De Randamie grew up in the Veluwe village of 't Harde and comes from a musical family.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Sticks: Junte Uiterwijk, better known as Sticky Steez, Sticks or Stickert, is a Dutch rapper from Zwolle. Between 1998 and 2007, Sticks formed the rap formation Opgezwolle together with rapper Phreako Rico and DJ Delic.</div>

Verre Oosten (Far East)

<div>A mural with a mix of cultural history and sights of the city of Helmond.</div>

Canal of Cult

<div>This mural is made by Studio Giftig to honour Hezelo, the first lord of the castle in Helmond.</div>

Hezelo

<p>Wild Hearts, the highest mural of the Netherlands (50m) and fifth Music &amp; Murals painting.The song “Wild Hearts” was suggested by the guys from Di-rect as inspiration for the mural. It’s about your life path and that you must live it to the fullest. Floating persons open their coats, from which a light of life shines on various typical fragments of life.</p>

Wild Hearts

Astrant

<p>A 24 meters high painting based in the capitol of Jordan. </p>

Fruitful future (Amman – Jordan)

<div>Langs het kanaal zijn diverse culturele instellingen gevestigd die samen het culturele hart van Helmond vormen. Een aantal aspecten uit de cultuurgeschiedenis van Helmond zijn door <a href="https://studiogiftig.nl/">Studio Giftig</a> in beeld gebracht op de muur onder de Traverse (Kromme Steenweg). Zo zie je er muziek in terug, Maria van Brabant, het trainingspak, een kat en Lucas Gassel.</div>

Canal of cult

<p>Studio Giftig specializes in photorealistic paintings and murals, often with a surrealistic twist. Kaspar van Leek (1983, Philipsburg St. Maarten) en Niels van Swaemen (1981, Eindhoven) met in 2007. In 2012 the duo decided to fully devote themselves to murals. In 2021 Studio Giftig started the concept "Music &amp; Murals", a series of murals in collaboration with the greatest Dutch musicians, where the murals are based on songs from their repertoire. The aim is to enrich the urban environment with artworks that carry a deeper musical meaning. This cross-pollination makes music and street art accessible to a wide audience. </p><p>This wall is the 8th painting for the project. In collaboration with Flemming a mural was painted, based on his song "Paracetamollen", a song that touches many listeners, but also has a special meaning for the artist himself. On the wall a man and a woman are depicted, surrounded by shards of glass.</p><p>Before creating the painting, Studio Giftig and Flemming visited the Jheronimus Bosch Art Center, where they discovered parallels between "The Garden of Earthly Delights" and the song "Paracetamollen". Various references from this famous painting have been incorporated into the mural, fitting within the context of "Paracetamollen". E.g. the owl, which appears in several of Bosch's works as a messenger of things that couldn't bear the light of day, a thistle, a goldfinch, an egg and a reference to the outer shutters of "The Garden of Earthly Delights" have been incorporated into the mural.</p><p>On the outer faces of the triptych Bosch depicted in&nbsp;grisaille the Third Day of the Creation of the World, when the waters were separated from the earth and the earthly Paradise (Eden) created.</p>

Paracetamollen

<div>Distance is becoming a relative concept through our means of communication. Nowadays there is only a thin line between being together mentally and physically. This painting was made in the Holenkwartier in Hoorn, on the site of a former telephone switchboard factory.</div><div><br></div>

A Thin Line

Steve Locatelli

Nash

Sapo

<div>A project from de Gemeente Weert, Angelo Martinus, Nash and Sapo.<br>In September 2016 Nash invited his friends Steve Locatelli and Belin to paint the Hushoverbrug together with him and Sapo during the Bospop Festival.<br>In March 2018 Sapo invited Studio Giftig to join him painting the last two walls.<br><br>The colour green and nature was the main theme for these walls, so the bridge nicely blends into the green surroundings .&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br><br></div>

Green city Weert

<p>It’s crucial for children to dream and be inspired by their heroes, fostering motivation to develop their own passions. This artwork is rooted in a social project, facilitating children’s participation in sports clubs, offering inspiration from professional athletes. This provides the younger generation with perspective and life challenges. Within a dreamy surreal setting, a young girl is captivated by an older athlete, strengthened by iris flowers symbolizing inspiration.</p>

Look Up

Dzia

Hugo Mulder

Keesomtunnel

<p>A fisherman’s wife waits for her husband to return safely. The tobacco leaves refer to the old tobacco factory at the port of molaix in france, where the mural is located.</p>

Safe return 

<p>A beautiful street art work that is inspired by the presumed self-portrait of Jan Van Eyck ( the man with the red turban). "We wanted to make a modern interpretation of the work from 1433, so we thought that it could get an update. " says Kurt A beautiful street art work that is inspired by the presumed self-portrait of Jan Van Eyck (the man with the red turban). " We wanted to make a modern interpretation of the work from 1433, so we thought that it could get an update." says Kurt&nbsp; Bosmans of the Street Art Festival<br>"Maaseik is the birthplace of the Van Eyck brothers and so we wanted to make a street art work of his on the spot", Bosmans continues. "We've been working on it for two weeks. And we've already had a lot of positive reactions from the residentsresidents Bosmans of the Street Art Festival.</p><p>"Maaseik is the birthplace of the Van Eyck brothers and so we wanted to make a street art work of his on the spot", Bosmans continues. "We've been working on it for two weeks. And we've already had a lot of positive reactions from the residents.</p>

The toss

<div>Studio Giftig heeft in opdracht van de Gemeente Onderbanken de locale schutterstraditie van de schutterijen St. Johannes-St. Clemens Merkelbeek en St. Gertrudis Amstenrade een prominente plek gegeven. Ook gedeputeerde Ger Koopmans, de president van het Oud Limburgs Schuttersfeest (OLS), heeft een prominente plek op het viaduct gekregen.</div>

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Studio Giftig

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