Awanto3

Pinning down Steven de Peven aka Awanto 3 is not an easy task. Maybe it isn’t something one should do to anyone anyway, but in Steven’s case it’s just downright impossible Steven is what you might call a true ‘release beast’ and not just of music that is. Innovating things is what he thrives on, which resulted in the release of books and music, the start of interesting collaborations, him diving into the world of multi-media and even opening up a shop. Steven’s studio is not found in the hectic streets of Amsterdam anymore, and neither is his home. He now lives an hour up north of Amsterdam in Bergen aan Zee, a beautiful place known for it’s community of artists. Some of the people there are calling Steven a neo-Dadaïst, referring to the art movement from the early 20th century. A moniker he proudly wears. His studio is found a stone’s throw away from there. In the elementary school he attended as a little kid that is now turned into various studios. If you’ve ever explored Steven’s work, a couple of things probably stood out. First, the humour is always evident. And second to that, all his work is visually strong and distinctive. For Steven, music alone isn’t enough, there should be a visual illustration as well, and this illustration is never his own image. Overall this yin/yang balance in all of his work is what he strives for. So how do we do the inconceivable? We pigeonhole Steven de Peven’s work into four different categories. Simple as that.