My name is Chris van Walsum, also known as R@H@, a 24-year-old Amsterdam-based artist. I draw inspiration from the digital world and street art.

During my teenage years in the skateboard scene of Rotterdam, spray painting brought me a way to express myself. The virtual world and street art provided a safe space and inspiration, despite their imperfections. I found beauty in their fast pace, community, and visuals

Today, I aim to counter social media's negatives by finding beauty online, offering comfort and togetherness. My art is influenced by internet cultures, video games, and emerging trends, transforming pixels into natural grains.

My passion for street art blends graffiti techniques with my own techniques, carefully using various shades of spray paint to create pigmented layers for a pixelated effect. 

Inspired by Romanticism, Baroque, and Expressionism I blend these with street art and digital elements to create ever-changing, nostalgic works.

I use found materials like cardboard, modeling paste, acrylic paint, as well as spray paint and an airbrush, collages of dried graffiti pieces and 3D design programs and apps like Snapchat. 

My practice consists of paintings, printing techniques and digital reproduction as well as making steel and styrofoam sculptures and ceramics. 

I tackle themes such as memory, childhood, identity and anxiety 

Born

1999 Krimpen aan den IJssel

Education

2020-23 BFA 3, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam

Solo Exhibitions

2022 www.notlostbutsearching.com, Atelier Artplaats, Amsterdam

2023 The Sky of a Made Up World, De Bouwput, Amsterdam

Group Exhibitions 

2022 Opening/Closing, Vondelbunker, Amsterdam

2020 Untitled, NEVERNEVERLAND, Amsterdam

Selected Group Exhibitions

2021 A State of Control, Loosenart, Rome, Italy

2021 Digital Community, Kunsthaus Steffisburg, Switzerland

2022 PAPERBOUND, De Bouwput, Amsterdam

2023 701, Art Week Rotterdam, Rotterdam

2023 Untitled, Vrij Paleis, Amsterdam

Residencies

2021 Artist in Residence at The Grand, Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, Amsterdam

Press

2022 'De magie van zelf blaadjes maken' - Het Parool

Member of Arti et Amicitiae