Erik van de Beek

Erik van de Beek was born in Renkum, the Netherlands, in 1971. Erik studied autonomous art at the Constantijn Huijgens Academy in Kampen, the Netherlands, from 1990 to 1995. There, he has received a bachelor degree. At the moment he is living in Nijmegen.

Ever since he was young, Erik has had a passion for the arts. This passion has become his life.

Passion for materials, when in shops which sell art materials, he devours the colours, the paints and the brushes. And when he returns to his studio, he will enthusiastically try out a just purchased brush.

Passion for the process, which seems to envelop him every minute of every day. Erik finds his inspiration for his paintings everywhere in the world around him. Like the positioning of the arm of the man opposite of him in the train, which he has been looking for, for such a long time.

Passion for the objects, when he is staring into the window of a second-hand shop, where he sees an extraordinary glass, sometimes gorgeous in its ugliness.

Passion for colours and shapes, when he gets touched by the ‘greys’ in a face. When he looks enthusiastically at trees where the sun shines so beautifully through the leaves and that he wants to reproduce on that particular painting.

Passion for the work of other artists, which can teach him so much. The paintings by the Great Masters, which seemingly were made with ease. Or the unfinished paintings by Alma Tadema and Johfra. But also his passion for the work of an unknown artist who has painted something brilliantly.

Erik’s passion for the arts is connected with a constant struggle. It is a struggle with the paint, with his topics and themes, his source of inspiration and himself. He is always painting something new, something different; it’s a constant challenge. To Erik, being an artist means an everlasting search for perfection.

Cindy van Emden

Translation by G.J.M. Gremmen

Expositions

July 1 through August 27, 2023: solo exposition "Zoektocht naar Perfectie" ("Quest for Perfection")

Address: Aardappelmarkt 15, 3311 BA Dordrecht