About Mark Raven

Mark Raven

Typically Amsterdam

“Quirky, modern, and made with a great love for city landscapes”

Eager to get in touch with other cultures, as a young artist Mark used to travel around the world to broaden his vision, supporting himself by selling impressions of the cities he visited. It was during these journeys that he learned to present his work in his own way, not solely depending on  the art gallery circuit.

The idea that his art should be more visible and affordable convinced the local authorities in Amsterdam to grant him permission to set up an art kiosk, located between  internationally renowned institutions as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

Mark Raven Etchings

Contrasts

In his work Mark complements traditional graphic techniques, such as etching, with the possibilities of digital image manipulation,  thus balancing the contrast between classical  and modern.

By translating the characteristics of the city into almost calligraphic symbols, a striking interpretation of Amsterdam is created.

As it has always been his aim to make his art visible and affordable, Mark now operates from his gallery behind the Royal Palace, offering his extraordinary Amsterdam impressions not only as original prints, but also presented on t-shirts, posters and postcards.

Mark Raven Etchings

The Philippines

Mark Raven’s life got a new dimension when he met his Filipina girlfriend Ana in 2011, and his travels to Ana’s homeland evoked new artistic interests. In Amsterdam the picturesque atmosphere of his hometown had always been the basis of his inspiration, but in the Philippines it turned out to be the power and and the surprises of nature in all it’s sometimes bizarre forms.

Slowly he started to appreciate wood as a creative material, and nowadays Mark enjoys searching the island for interesting pieces of driftwood that usually wash ashore after a heavy storm passes the island and adapting them into powerful sculptures.