Printler x Maarten Léon

Maarten, tell us a little bit about yourself - who are you?
Hi all, my name is Maarten Léon. I recently quit my job as a technology consultant in Amsterdam to live as a full time artist in Portugal. I’ve been creating art for as long as I can remember.

How did you discover your creativity?
My creative process always starts with visualising some form of endstate, which I then try to work my way to. Together with a big urge to create I get a long way in making art regularly. I mainly use Photoshop and Illustrator, but I like exploring different analogue and digital techniques such as painting and 3D modelling.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
From anywhere actually. Inspiration often comes from situations I read about on the news, everyday experiences I have, or people I meet with. These can provide me with some sort of ‘hook’ to make something. In my mind I exaggerate these situations, from which a surreal scene pops up ready to for me to collage.  

What do you think wall art can bring into a home
Wall art can show the many sides of who you are, like fragments of your personality. Images of things that have meaning for you, you think are beautiful or just funny.

What do you have on your walls at home?
A mix of prints, photos and original works we collected over the years. Including some of my own work. I like seeing whether a design of mine works within an interior setting.