Kevin Langedijk
Works & Biography

Kevin Langedijk, ADDICTED, 2022, Carved Wood, Acrylic, Dimensions Vary (60 to 80 inches Wide)
Picture
  • Kevin Langedijk - Artwork: ADDICTED
     
     As a native Dutchman, visual artist Kevin Langedijk (1982) grew up in a long tradition of visual art and design. Attracted by the dynamic advertising world and inspired by pop art artists, he opted for graphic and media design studies. He has a bachelor of arts degree in design in the Netherlands. His career in graphic design brought him to New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Rome and Paris. In all of these cities he lived for longer periods. There he became acquainted from the inside with the international world of fashion and lifestyle brands. Since 2012 Langedijk makes works of art in which his keen observation of society is expressed.
     
     With the series 'ADDICTED' Langedijk returns to the late eighties and early nineties of the last century. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, things seemed to be going well in the world forever. It was a period in which prosperity increased rapidly. A time of quick money, lavish luxury and the rise of lifestyle brands such as Prada and Versace. You developed an image of yourself with the brands you surrounded yourself with. It was also the period when the use of the chemical drug XTC at house parties was introduced.
     
     Both lifestyle brands and recreational drugs are now widely accessible. They bring pleasure and feelings of happiness. Langedijk places logos of contemporary lifestyle brands on enlarged XTC pills, stating that the desire for luxury brands is universal, of all times and can be addictive. Brand logos represent values ​​that people want to associate with. The popularity of individual brands may change, the desire to stand out remains.
     
     Langedijk has great admiration for the craftsmanship with which lifestyle brands are made. The works in the series ADDICTED are created with an eye for detail and craftsmanship. Each individual work is made up of several layers of wood and carefully treated with a matte powder paint in a pastel shade. The result is astonishingly similar to the texture of XTC pills. The combination of different shapes, colors and logos results in the colorful ADDICTED series. By choosing a selection of logos from favorite brands, every buyer can put together a unique personal work of art that stands out.