Marlin (2019) SMOK
In the Leuvehaven is the houseboat, which was painted in 2015 with a bright pink octopus, because owner Hans is an avid diver. However, the painting was due for replacement after four years, so Hans offered his houseboat again to be painted. So he sailed his boat to the Rijnhaven, where during the Pow! Wow! festival 2019 a new painting was applied by the Antwerp street artist SMOK. The houseboat features marlins, a large fish with a spear-shaped snout and dorsal fin. To the left and right of the boat you can see the marlins, in the middle a number of smaller fish, so that the work gets depth. The light that is refracted by the water is also very cleverly applied by SMOK. The boat bears the name Sterre Marlijn, after Hans's daughter, hence the choice for this fish species. A week after the festival, Hans sailed back to his permanent berth in the Leuvehaven.
SMOK is the stage name of street artist Belgian Bart Boudewijns (1972). He lives and works in Antwerp. His paintings can be seen in the streets of Belgium, California, Portugal and France, among other places. SMOK gets inspiration from daily situations and animals. They form a subtle metaphor to criticize human behavior.
Wijnkade 2, 3011 VZ Rotterdam, Netherlands