If you’ve seen salami being sliced, you’d immediately relate it with the art of Stefan Thelen or mr.super_a, as he identifies himself on his Instagram page. This freelance artist based in Goes, The Netherlands, who calls himself Super A, relies on traditional painting techniques to create works that ask more than they tell.
Thelen is known for painting realistic images and fantasy figures that have a central figure superimposed by another in strips. The subject he chooses are famous personalities, and characters from fairytales, cartoons, and movies. And most often than not, his works contain a social message.
Thelen was always fascinated by art from his very childhood. So, it wasn’t surprising when he joined Graphic Lyceum in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. After graduating, he became one of the top street artists in The Netherlands and was regarded as one of the best the world over.
Thelen’s inspiration comes from people around him and from his personal experiences. He molds them into art via his most fertile imagination, so much so that the line between fiction and nonfiction simply blurs. Posing as Super A, he takes the viewers on a trip to his make-believe world of modern surrealist compositions to challenge their minds to solve puzzles that he poses through his works.
Thelen’s work has not gone unrecognized. His street art has been showcased around the globe, including the famous galleries in Europe and the US. They’ve also become a part of art exhibitions held in places, such as Art. Fair, Art Amsterdam, and Realism.
One of Thelen’s recent works is several stories high in Boston’s Rose Kennedy Greenway. This mural shows a barn swallow flying out of a bell jar. Almost all his works can be viewed on his Instagram page, where he enjoys a fan following of over 74,000.
Super A: Instagram
