Dutch-Croatian Saša Ostoja (1983) draws imaginative creatures in humorous, dangerous, or awkward situations. This work is an ode to the Veluwe, one of the Netherlands' largest nature reserves, which the artist loves to visit.
Ostoja's favourite moment of the day is dusk. 'That time of day is very mystical, it stimulates the imagination. The colour purple symbolises that feeling for me, which is why I used it in this artwork.' In the forest, he seeks silence. 'In the night, the animals come out. You see everything and nothing at the same time, which I find fascinating. When you sit still, you naturally become one with the surroundings.'
Ostoja studied the flora and fauna of the Veluwe. In this work, you may recognise the blackbird, the great spotted woodpecker, squirrels, deer, birch trees, and mushrooms. 'When you’re seeing less, you become more alert. The longer you look at the understated colours of nature, the more details you’ll notice.'
In this piece, Ostoja combines his interest in ethnology, anthropology, and nature with a great imagination. 'I find it fascinating to trace human behaviour back to animal habits, such as territorial instinct or food gathering. Such behaviour will always exist, no matter how much we modernise.'
Sometimes Ostoja works with ink on paper, other times with acrylic on walls, or with a digital pen, such as here. The goal of his art is to inspire people to spend more time in nature. At Schiphol, he hopes to bring stillness to a potentially stressful moment. 'When I fly myself, I'm always so switched on.'
Saša Ostoja lives in Amsterdam. Besides his autonomous work, he also creates commissioned work, such as for the Van Gogh Museum, Nike, and the popular 'Donnie' children's book series.