Tjalf Sparnaay

Tjalf Sparnaay is known for outsized paintings of food, rendered in an exaggerated style of hyperrealism that he calls “megarealism.” His subjects—which range from decadent desserts to juicy hamburgers—pay homage to Sparnaay’s Dutch heritage, nodding to the still lifes of Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt, Pieter Claesz, and Willem Claesz Heda. Among his most popular subjects are fried eggs, which reflect his skilled handling of light, color, and texture. Sparnaay had his first solo exhibition at the Museum de Fundatie in Zwolle, Netherlands, in 2015. Four years later, the Museum JAN in Amstelveen, Netherlands, mounted another solo show so successful that it was extended. Self-taught, Sparnaay intends to encourage closer looking at familiar objects, sparking new appreciation for what might otherwise be overlooked.