ARNE HIDDINGH IS KNOWN FOR HIS HYPER REALISTIC PORTRAITS. HIS WORK IS BASED ON PLACES AND HIP-HOP ARTIST THAT FASCINATES HIM. ARNE HIDDINGH BEGAN IN 2012 WITH PAINTING AND WITHOUT FOLLOWING ANY ARTISTIC LESSONS. HIS WORKS ARE BASED ON PHOTOGRAPHS. ARNE STRIVES TO CREATE AN EXACT RESEMBLANCE TO THE (IN MANY CASES FAMOUS HIP-HOP ARTIST) PORTRAYED. "EVERY FACE IS UNIQUE AND IT IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE TO PAINT SOMEONE EXACTLY AS HE OR SHE IS." WITH HIS COLOR AND ANGLE IMPORTATION EVERY PAINTING GETS HIS OWN ARNE HIDDINGH EXPRESSION.

VALIDATED: WHICH CITY/TOWN AND COUNTRY ARE YOU FROM?

ARNE HIDDINGH: I COME FROM THE NETHERLANDS AND LIVE IN THE HAGUE.

VALIDATED: WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS?

ARNE HIDDINGH: I ALWAYS PAINT ON A LINEN CANVAS WITH ACRYLIC PAINT. SOMETIMES I SKETCH FIRST AND PAINT IT LATER. USUALLY I START WITH THE BACKGROUND AND THEN WORK FORWARD. FOR THE FINE DETAILS I OFTEN USE AN AQRYL MARKER. DURING THE PAINTING PROCESS I MAKE A LOT OF PICTURES ON MY PHONE WHICH I COMPARE WITH THE ORIGINAL PHOTO.

VALIDATED: WHAT ARE A FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS/REWARDS OF WHERE YOUR ARTWORK HAS TAKEN YOU SO FAR?

ARNE HIDDINGH: THE BEST HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR ARE TALIB KWELI'S REACTION TO MY PAINTING AND RECENTLY MY PAINTING TO RAPSODY. INSTAGRAM IS ALSO AN INTERESTING MEDIUM THAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE A LOT WITH. FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE END OF THIS YEAR I WILL BE GOING TO NEW YORK WITH A NUMBER OF PAINTINGS (INCLUDING JAY-Z, JAY ELECTRONICS, 9TH WONDER AND RAPSODY) THAT WILL BE HANGING IN THE OFFICE OF ROC NATION/JAMLA RECORDS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO GIVE A HIP HOP ITEM IN NEW YORK. BECAUSE I AM A BEGINNING ARTIST. I HOPE TO REALIZE THIS THROUGH THE RIGHT CONTACTS.

VALIDATED: WHEN AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO FOCUS ON HIP-HOP ARTIST?

ARNE HIDDINGH: AS A SMALL CHILD I WAS DRAWING EVERY DAY, AND ESPECIALLY DRAWING PEOPLE I FOUND INTRIGUING. WHEN I CAME INTO CONTACT WITH HIP-HOP IN THE 90S, I IMMEDIATELY GOT THE IDEA AND THE FEELING TO LET THAT COME TOGETHER. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FAN OF JAY-Z, IN ALL I HAVE BEEN TO A HOV CONCERT EIGHT TIMES. DURING THE WATCH THE THRONE TOUR I TOLD A MATE, WITH WHOM I OFTEN WENT TO CONCERTS, THAT IF I EVER MEET JIGGA I WOULD GIVE HIM A PAINTING. THAT FRIEND UNFORTUNATELY DIED TWO YEARS AGO IN A CAR ACCIDENT. IT MAY SOUND STRANGE, BUT I ACTUALLY WANT TO GIVE HIM SOME KIND OF SERVICE, BY SHOWING THAT I SUCCEEDED.

VALIDATED: WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO HOW THE HIP-HOP COMMUNITY HAS EMBRACED YOUR WORK?

ARNE HIDDINGH: BECAUSE OF THE MANY LIKES AND COMPLIMENTS ON MY INSTAGRAM PROFILE, I GET EVEN MORE MOTIVATED TO PURSUE MY GOALS. FOR EXAMPLE, I AM NOW FOCUSING VERY MUCH ON ARTISTS WHO ARE UNDER CONTRACT WITH ROC NATION. THE WORK IS ALMOST ADDICTIVE BECAUSE OF THE COMPLIMENTS.

VALIDATED: HOW HAS ART INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE?

ARNE HIDDINGH: ART HAS NOW OCCUPIED AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN MY LIFE, BECAUSE I PAINT ABOUT 5 HOURS EVERY DAY. FOR ME IT'S SOME LIFESTYLE BECAUSE I LISTEN EVERY DAY TO HIP HOP AND LEARN EVERYDAY FROM MYSELF.

VALIDATED: WHICH ARTIST HAD THE MOST MEMORABLE REACTION TO YOUR DRAWING OF THEM?

ARNE HIDDINGH: RAPSODY AND TALIB KWELI. THE REACTION OF RAPSODY WAS SO GENUINELY BEAUTIFUL. SHE TOOK THE TIME AND REALIZED THAT HER FANS ARE MAKING HER BIG. A LOT OF LOVE WENT FROM THERE. TALIB KWELI'S REACTION WAS VERY FUNNY, BECAUSE HE WENT INTO THE DETAILS OF HIS T-SHIRT. I PAINTED HIS IDOL NINA SIMONE ON HIS SHIRT. THESE VIDEOS CAN BOTH BE VIEWED ON MY INSTAGRAM PROFILE.

VALIDATED: WHERE CAN THE READERS FIND YOU ON THE WEB?

ARNE HIDDINGH: YOU CAN FIND ME ON MY INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK UNDER "ARNEHIDDINGH" AND MY WEBSITE WWW.ARNE-HIDDINGH.COM