Alexander Claessen, founder of Studio Claessen, creates paintings that bridge personal memory with universal themes.
Dutch and Italian heritage, his work reflects both the clarity of Northern traditions and the warmth and symbolism of Southern culture. Educated at the Art Academy in Maastricht and later earning a Master’s in Product Design in Milan, Claessen’s background blends conceptual thinking with material craftmanship. Working in oil on linen, he embraces the weight of art history shaping a contemporary language that is entirely his own. Philosophy runs through his practise: painting becomes a meditation on loss, transformation and beauty. Gold leaf, architectural motifs, and patterned surfaces recall sacred art, while his figures carry intimacy and vulnerability of lived experience. This dialogue between past and present, sacred and personal, gives his work its distinct voice. Symbolism lies at the heart of Studio Claessen. Every gesture, ornament and fragment of memory resonates beyond the canvas. Not as decoration, but as an opening for reflection.
In 2021 he was nominated as one of the final 15 contestants for the second season of the Fine Arts TV- Production Project Rembrandt by Dutch public TV-channel ntr, which aired in January 2022.
Instagram:
