"African beauty". I love race. A race lover, that's what I am. I thought I colour it up.

In honour of Nelson Mandela and all of his African friends Mas.s had painted "African Beauty". He says "I have found that only in embracing people from other continents, only by engaging in other cultures, we can enrich ourselves. We are all in desperate need of each other. Ignorance, arrogance and calculated judgement impoverished the world. Many people are in fear of losing themselves by truly engaging with other races or cultures. This is just not true! I coloured that with love!"

He goes on "Engaging, mixing, embracing, engagement. These are words that challenge our own comfort zone and security, it lays bare who we are. That's good. I am a Dutchman, my fellow countryman have, amongst good deeds, ravaged the world, we have been at the forefront of segregation, racism, division and religious schisms for political and economical reasons. To this day we can still witness that throughout the world. I am very aware of that and it gives me pain. Only acknowledgement leads to healing. I love that thought."

He used his new found direction in the development of this very colourful portrait. He says "I have come to the conclusion that in order to think outside the box, one has to think in curves, not straight lines. That's law." On the colouring he says "Colour challenges, brightens you up, clears your thoughts and enables you a helicopter view ."

More of his work can be found at Gagliardi gallery in Chelsea, London. Www.gagliardigallery.org

Or at Mas-s.com