Gerard van Oosten grew up with the ‘Staphorster’ culture and its ‘dotwork’ – in Dutch – ‘stipwerk’. Gerard uses his background and his professional training in painting to preserve and develop the traditional craft of ‘Staphorster stipwerk’. With the help of modern materials, techniques and applications, he passes on the craft to new generations, together with the Foundation Staphorster Stipwerk.

He gives lessons and workshops to various target groups and is very knowledgeable in the field of pigments and ‘stipwerk’. He extends the application of printing technology and prints on different types of surfaces with the ‘Staphorster stipwerk’, such as textiles, underwear and swimsuits, earthenware and wood. Gerard has also developed a new paint that is widely applicable to different clothing fabrics. Accordingly he applies the shiny finish from the traditional craft and uses it for contemporary products for new target groups, making use of modern knowledge and techniques. He is currently working on digitally designed 3-D printed Staphorster stamps. He visited India and learnt about indigo dyeing. Together with the block carver they exchanged blocks.