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FreelingWaters
Portrait by Alexandra Rowley
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Calligraphy, painting, graphic design, furniture and architecture, FreelingWaters takes hybrid creativity to new levels.
This Dutch duo merges the artistry of Gijs Frieling (Amsterdam, NL 1966) and Job Wouters (Leiden, NL 1980). Frieling has received international recognition for his large-scale paintings and murals, bringing together 18th-century folk art and pre-Rennaissance wall painting. Wouters, a graphic designer turned master calligrapher, is recognised for his singular psychedelic aesthetic. Exquisitely crafted, FreelingWaters’ collaborative work becomes a commentary on a culture dominated by visual monotony and mass production.
Gijs and Job first met back in 2007, at artist-run gallery W130 in the centre of Amsterdam. They've joined forces on exhibitions, books, and a ‘live painted’ mural in Paris’ Grand Palais for fashion designer Dries van Noten.
“our collaboration, or really this ‘conversation’ between us... I guess we realised instantly that we had a lot to say to each other - and we’ve never stopped ‘talking’ since.”
Now, they’re a tried-and-tested pair who create fantastical work. Reworking antique furniture, where geometric patterns and organic decorations seem to jump off the surface. Their debut collection premiered at London Design Week and Design Miami/Shanghai in the autumn of 2021. In May 2022, they opened their first American solo exhibition at The Future Perfect in New York.