© Tree of life

A vertical composition of organic forms radiating from a central trunk-like structure, populated with abstracted figures, animals and botanical elements rendered in loose, gestural brushwork. The work oscillates between figuration and abstraction, with human and primate silhouettes interspersed amongst flora across a luminous blue ground. De Vries employs acrylic with immediacy and spontaneity, the palette comprising earthy ochres, greens and blacks against cool blues, creating a dreamlike natural world. His subconscious engagement with colour and form, evident here, reflects the artist’s self-taught exploration of abstract impressionism.