Gabriel Lester

Working from his studio in Amsterdam, artist Gabriel Lester creates installations, films, and sculptures. In his early years of working as an artist, he wrote prose and composed electronic music. Later, after studying film and eventually fine arts, his focus shifted to more visual work. Lester: "My work embraces all conceivable media."

"My work represents a field of tension. It is either implicitly narrative, explicitly visual or both at the same time. My works of art rarely convey a single explicit message or idea, rather they suggest ways to relate to the world," Lester says. "They question the mechanisms and components that make up our perceptions and interpretations." The way the audience responds, therefore, plays an essential role in his work. Lester: "Considering my background in music, theatre, and cinema, I've always worked with audiences. However, just pleasing them is not my main goal. I'm only satisfied when I genuinely find the viewer's perspective interesting and refreshing too." The artist has his own way of working. "Before the creative process begins, I first look for images or other source material that illustrates the feeling of my idea. After that, my team takes care of the visual elaboration of the idea.

"I work just like a film director. I don't need to always be the cameraman, the actor, the scriptwriter, or the light man, but it's me who comes up with the ideas."

Photo: Gabriel Lester at work at his studio.

He draws his inspiration from 'mysteries' and 'things that are unsolved'. Lester adds: "I think it's important for an artist to know who you are and where you are – and how these two things come together. If you understand that, inspiration is never far away."

Gabriel Lester (1972, NL) is an Amsterdam inventor, visual artist, and film director. His work includes music, cinema, spatial installation, performance art, sculpture, architecture, photography, and prose.

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