Why I use silicone in my paintings
⏱️ 4 minute read
There are techniques you discover because you seek them. And there are techniques that find you, in the middle of an experiment that was actually meant to go somewhere else. Silicone was the latter for me. I was looking for texture that wouldn't harden. For something that would remain alive after drying. And when I applied the first layer of silicone to a dried canvas, I knew: this is it.
How the technique works
It always starts with acrylic paint. Layer after layer, built up and dried, until the canvas has its own weight. That foundation is important. It determines the color, the atmosphere, the direction of the work.
Then comes the silicone. Not mixed with the paint, but applied as separate layers on top of the dried surface. That distinction is crucial. The silicone does not react to the paint underneath. It forms its own layer, its own skin.
The result is a relief that consistently feels rubbery. Soft. Alive. Never hard. You can touch it without it breaking or fading. And touching it is not incidental. It is part of the work itself.
Want to feel how this works for yourself?
The Relief. collection consists of original works with silicone relief. Each piece is unique, hand-painted and signed by Jordy Koumans.
View the Relief. collectionLight as a co-player
What I find most fascinating about this technique: the work changes with the light. During the day, with natural light, you see the texture in one way. In the evening, with a lamp next to it, the shadows shift and new depths emerge. The same work, a different experience.
That's something a photo can never fully capture. You have to see it in the space. You have to walk around it.
"Because the light always falls differently on the relief, the work looks different during the day than in the evening, and changes with every light source in the room."
The two new works from the Relief. collection
I recently added two new originals. Both are 20 x 20 cm, mixed media on canvas, and both cost €75. Small in size, big in presence.
Yield | Original
Yield surrenders. Not out of weakness, but out of trust. Deep blue slowly moves towards soft pink-mauve. Two worlds meeting, and neither wins. The transition is the work. Soft, inevitable, like ice deciding to melt.
The silicone relief on this work is particularly pronounced. You feel the movement you also see. A work that softens the space around it.
Hush | Original
Hush asks nothing. It listens. Deep blue-gray slowly moves towards soft lavender. No hard border, no clear moment of transition. Only movement, texture, and the traces of a hand that was searching for something.
This work makes the space around it quieter. It's one of those works that you don't immediately understand, but that you also never forget.
Why an original and not a print?
Prints are beautiful. But an original with silicone relief is something else. You cannot reproduce it. The texture, the thickness of the layers, the way the light falls on it. That is unique to that one work, on that one canvas. Once it's gone, it's gone.
That's also why I keep these works small in size, but so big in presence. 20 x 20 cm fits anywhere. But it fills a space in a way you don't expect.
Frequently asked questions
Is silicone durable on canvas?
Yes. Silicone adheres well to a dried acrylic surface and remains flexible. It does not harden, yellow, or break down under normal conditions.
Can I touch the work?
Yes, that's the intention. The relief is made to be felt. Touching is not incidental, it's part of the experience.
How do I hang it?
The edges are painted, so you don't need a frame. Ready to hang. Shipped worldwide.
Are there more works in the Relief. collection?
Yes. View the complete Relief. collection for all available originals.
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About KOJO Art
KOJO Art is the brand name under which I, Jordy Koumans, paint and sell. From my studio in Tilburg, I create original paintings and prints that focus on color, texture, and tranquility. Each work is hand-painted, signed, and shipped worldwide.
