POSITIONS – 38

In Avian Sunflowers, Harry Rüdham transforms Van Gogh’s iconic blossoms into a contemporary vision of flight and form. What once stood as a symbol of radiance and vitality becomes reimagined through thousands of tiny birds, meticulously cut from masking tape or adhesive film and arranged into floral constellations.

Layer by layer, Rüdham applies acrylic and oil paint, building vibrant depths of color. When the stencils are removed, the birds emerge in shifting tonalities, suspended between motion and stillness. From afar, the paintings resemble luminous abstractions of sunflowers; up close, they reveal a dazzling interplay of detail and spatial rhythm.

With this painstaking technique, Rüdham not only pays homage to Van Gogh but also creates a poetic meditation on community and transformation. Each bird, singular in form, becomes part of a radiant whole—an endless flowering, a sky in bloom.