To enjoy a painting or figure that we see or bought, we like to know more about the 'man' behind the artist. Why is he an artist? Where did he study? How and where does he work? How has he improved? Is he still improving as an artist, and so on...

Writing about the way Sjer Jacobs works is not that difficult. Easy formulating Sjer talks about his work. When talking about his live as an artist or his private life Sjer Jacobs is very modest. And why not ? The challenge to fathom Sjer and his art is even getting bigger. Who is Sjer Jacobs, the artist behind his figures? Or as Sjer himself says: 'the artist amid the figures.'

Sjer Jacobs (1963) was born and bred in the city of Tegelen, situated in the province of Limburg in the southern part of the Netherlands (Europe). The city where he lives and works. Since the moment he could hold a pencil he wanted to be an artist. At that time 'art' was a big word, because artists were hardly known and recognised.

At the local Creative Arts Centre he made drawings and paintings, still lifes and portraits. 'These portraits soon became complete human beings', Sjer says. He did his teacher training (art and handicraft) in the city of Sittard and obtained his degree. For a short period he taught in secondary schools, but this did not give him enough inspiration and satisfaction. So he decided to continue his study at the Municipal Academy of Maastricht (The Netherlands).

Being a student Sjer Jacobs was an artist, interested in the Academic World, but meanwhile following his own path. This independent artistic attitude gave him the opportunity to stay out of the open-ended debates in the art-world and check his own opinion out of his natural reservations and from a certain distance.

Although he never intentionally wanted to be different from the existing trends in modern art, he undoubtedly created his own style in the world of art, without tricks or metaphorical behaviour.

Please do not try to classify Sjer Jacobs in one of the modern art trends. Do you like to place his work in a certain framework, you might characterise his art as expressive/figurative, realising that his figures and paintings are figurative, but not realistic. His work is expressivein such a way that you will recognise Sjer Jacobs' art immediately out of thousands.

Sjer Jacobs is inspired by his surroundings. Human beings form his prime source of inspiration. Human beings in all its diversity on one hand and on the other hand in its very own style. Everyday people, with their looks, their behavings, their attitude, glance and clothes, everything is important.

Sjer observes, combines and makes his suggestive creation of human figures. 'I expose my own reality. Often it is not a single, identifiable person. lt's a merge of different people. lt's not the perfect resemblance, but it is the mirror I hold up to myself and the spectators, who do not have a passive role in this. They should create their own figures next to mine. They should not only look at my figures, but engage a dialogue and create a new reality' says Sjer Jacobs.

His man-sized figures attract our attention. He transforms the making of his figures into simple, heavy, picturesque treated forms for different parts of the body... 'Most people do not have perfect looks. Just look around you' Sjer says. And he knows, because he watches people like no one else does. He specially observes relations between people and tries to express these feelings and moods in his figures.

This is why Sjer Jacobs' art is so close to our own daily live, the every day live, mostly not that exiting... By attitude, gesture or facial expression he characterises his figures: haughty or submissive, modest or proud, subdued or insolent looking into the world.

Sjer Jacobs groups his figures in a way that the spectator is almost forced to look at every side, walk around or even through and become a -part of them, in a way one finally is wondering who is really being observed. At home, looking into the mirror, the observer discovers inevitably the resemblance with Sjer's figures. Illusion and reality seem to be close together.

Because his figures are very recognisable, a certain inside power stirs emotions, human emotions. These are the emotions that Sjer in his paintings and figures tries to transmit to the spectator. This same power even leads to new emotions.

The observation of people is imperceptible keeping him busy. 'Especially faces and hands show what keeps people busy. Carriages, hands and faces express best in what mood people are. That's why they are the key elements in my work', Sjer says.

In his way of making art, Jacobs constantly is in dialogue with his direct surroundings. That's why he has a typical way of modelling. He likes to play with proportions, to add or if necessary to remove, thinking and feeling with his hands.

Sjer works with all kinds of materials: ceramic, bronze, pewter, steel glass, wood, plastic, oil-paint and ink. Even his techniques do not constrain him in any way. His art is both two- and three dimensional. Materials and techniques empower him to create a special atmosphere, underlining the intrinsic essence of his art.

Sjer's aim at perfection does not stop him to not work in detail. He omits certain details if facial expression needs so. Looking for the most typical in a human he sometimes leaves out arms, legs, cars or eyes, to strengthen the suggestive power.

'I have been told', Sjer says, 'that my figures are dressed in a old fashioned way. I wouldn't understand the modern style. People could not identify themselves in my way of styling!' Jacobs does not agree: 'because I leave out the non-essential, even the fashion of my figures becomes a kind of an archetype'...

'Too much make-up, necklaces, earrings, bracelets or other ornaments are hiding reality. Too much attention for ornaments distracts reality. Being fascinated by the human being is probably one of the reasons for my success', Sjer says. 'Many people recognise themselves in one of my human figures'. I think, 'although every person is unique, finally people can be reduced to a kind of archetypes'.

No matter from which point of view we look at Sjer Jacobs, he always appears as an outstanding man, knowing how to deal with his personal means of expression. Kneading the clay, making the composition with his hands and passionately using his paint brush, he is trying to find the real meaning of life while creating his own marvellous world.

This way we might see Sjer Jacobs' art as a combination of skilled craftsmanship and spiritual live. His figures and paintings tell everything about the way the artist looks at his surrounding world. Expressing the visible reality in his peculiar way, it will be a joy for everyone who knows his work.

His art is not made to be thoroughly analysed or to be rationalised. Spectators get every opportunity to build their own interpretation. For that reason spontaneity and intuition is the best starting-point.

Translated from Dutch article by Drs. Ad van Doorn