“We Are Rotten” – Still Life with Mushrooms

In this painting, Anne Jurjen (Ajo) Oppedijk reveals how decay can also be a form of beauty. The mushrooms — soft and almost porcelain-like — seem to dissolve into the light. The title “We Are Rotten” is not a statement of despair but a whisper about time, life, and change. It captures that quiet moment when freshness fades, and transformation begins — tender, honest, and deeply human.

Technique: Oil on panel
Artist: Anne Jurjen (Ajo) Oppedijk
Image size: 40 × 30 cm
Including frame: 57 × 47 cm

With his signature mastery of light and shadow, Oppedijk creates a meditative stillness — as if time itself pauses. The dark background enhances the rounded shapes of the mushrooms and gives the composition a sculptural strength. This work invites you to look beyond surface and decay, to find beauty in impermanence.

About the Artist

Born in Sneek (1984) and based in Haarlem, Anne Jurjen (Ajo) Oppedijk combines his work as a bus driver with a growing career as a fine artist. His realistic still lifes capture everyday objects that, through light, patience, and paint, become almost tangible. His works are praised for their quiet power and subtle symbolism, and are collected by art lovers throughout Europe.

“Those who learn to see without judgment, discover beauty in what fades away.”

Read more about the artist in his full biography of Ajo Oppedijk.
Exclusively available at MyPainting.nl.