Born near Eindhoven in the South of the Netherlands, the second son of a family of nine children, Jan Teunissen pursued a technical education and spent much of his early life working in the corporate world as a business engineer. However, he always harbored a deep interest in the arts, and strove to learn and refine his craft by studying the paintings of old Dutch and Flemish masters. A self-taught approach entails much experimentation, and Teunissen eventually developed the technique of arranging still lifes in his studio in a dark box under subtle lighting to evoke the chiaroscuro atmosphere that he had grown to so admire in master works. Though he began crafting realist paintings in 1983, it was not until 2002 that he chose to dedicate himself full time to painting. In the ensuing years, Teunissen has exhibited and sold his works around the world, in the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as in France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, New Zealand, Oman, Qatar, Taiwan, and now in the United States. Juxtaposing the almost mystical severity of chiaroscuro lighting with everyday objects, Teunissen strives for refinement, realism, and stark elegance in his works. Many of the flowers and fruits he portrays come from his own garden. The vividness of rendered images that inspire the viewer to imagine that they can smell the flowers or perceive the subtle rustle of the leaves is the proud achievement of years of careful study and refinement.