Bastiaan de Kramer's works consist of drawings and tattoos that contain a personal folklore, filled with symbols, observations and stories about growth and transformation. They are stories about the desire of the world and mankind to transcend themselves, to wake up in a new and better form. Driven by the subconscious and imagination, the works reflect on everyday life and the (according to the artist) impending doom of the world. He works slowly and in this way creates a psychedelic echo in which the works whisper about a positive nihilism. The works are a bit like a cosmic laughter, treading water after a shipwreck twenty kilometers from the coast. Scenes of an approaching end (or am I seeing the lights of a ship in the distance?)
Since 2019, Bastiaan has also focused on tattooing in addition to drawing. While the drawings are much more personal and therefore contain a more specific world, the tattoos are more playful and open in character. It is an encounter where the wearer provides the 'canvas' and ultimately gives the meaning and value to the tattoo. According to Bastiaan, the power of the tattoo lies in the process, which is about control, surrender and trust.