SmithDavidson Gallery presents Inner Explosions, an online exhibition dedicated to works on paper by Dutch artist Matthijs Scholten. Raw, expressive and richly layered, these works offer an intimate view into an artistic practice shaped by intuition, emotion and the constant interplay between chaos and order.
Paper holds a special place within Scholten’s practice. When he returned to making art as an adult, he began working on small sheets of paper, a format that gave him the freedom to experiment without expectation or restraint. This sense of spontaneity remains at the heart of the works presented in Inner Explosions, where bold lines, vibrant colours and energetic gestures come together in compositions that feel both instinctive and carefully balanced.
Drawing inspiration from graffiti, weathered buildings and fragments of urban life, Scholten transforms everyday impressions into his own distinctive visual language. Faces, eyes and mask-like figures emerge from layers of colour and form, inviting the viewer to look beyond the surface and discover something new with every encounter.
Inner Explosions brings together works that capture the immediacy and freedom of Scholten’s practice on paper, revealing an ongoing exploration of identity, introspection and the tension between inner experience and the world around us.
