Bored Panda wanted to learn more about the artist and his incredible projects, so we reached out to discuss his work. When we asked him about the most unusual place he’s ever created a mural, Jan Is De Man responded: “I have been painting for pretty much years now, I have been painting coffins, pregnant ladies, shoes, trains, cars boats…” He went on to mention a few more impressive places he’s used as canvases for his artwork: Massive buildings in suburbs, super high-end rich places, police stations, historic monuments, and so on.”
We were curious about the biggest challenges the artist faces when working on large-scale paintings. Here’s what we found out: “A big mural had a pretty big impact on the living environment of the people. It can bring a lot of joy but also the other way around…
The biggest challenge for me is to bring something beautiful that makes my art heart beat faster without forgetting that I create something in the open space where people are confronted every day… If both of them feel good - I am super grateful and happy.”
When asked about a bucket-list location where he could paint with unlimited creative freedom, Jan Is De Man said: “For a few years already I have a big dream of painting a rainbow on a bridge. Because some bridges have the perfect shape for this illusion. Not just a simple kid-like rainbow but the illusion that there is a permanent rainbow. I have put a lot of energy and time into this concept but for now, I didn’t find a good partnership and location to get this concept realized.”
Then, the mural artist added: “The other dream is to go to China and to create something that enriches the environment over there.”
Lastly, we wanted to find out if the artist could pick a personal favorite from the murals he’s created so far. Jan Is De Man responded: “There are a lot of murals that have special meaning for me, some have adventurous stories behind them, some are artistically fulfilling, some brought a lot of people together…” He elaborated, sharing more about specific paintings: “The bookcase project which is filled with favorite books from the local residents gives me and all the involved ones a lot of energy.
But the giraffe I painted in Utrecht is strong because the vertical garden that is perpendicular to it grows fast and ensures that within a few years, the climbing plants are so high that the plants reach the mouth of the giraffe. this is actually a drawing that gets better every year. until then you can still see my painted plants.”
