Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee (2018) by Berend Strik takes as its subject the legendary martial artist and actor — a figure who became a global icon of physical mastery, philosophy, and cross-cultural identity.

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) embodied the synthesis of Eastern and Western cultures — born in San Francisco, raised in Hong Kong, trained in Wing Chun kung fu and developed Jeet Kune Do. His philosophy of "be water" — adapting to any container without losing one's nature — resonates with Strik's own practice of adapting images to new contexts.

Strik frequently appropriates iconic imagery and transforms it through textile intervention. The image of Bruce Lee — already charged with multiple meanings of martial prowess, philosophy, and cultural bridge-building — becomes even more layered through Strik's stitching.

Lee's famous declaration "I am not a Chinese star" speaks to his refusal of simple categorization — a stance that resonates with Strik's own resistance to being categorized within any single medium or style.

Sources: Galerie Fons Welters