Bas Krommenhoek

Bas Krommenhoek was born in 1966, in Amsterdam. In spite of, but more probably thanks to his bipolar disorder, he has succeeded in evolving into a professional artist. As a self-educated person he has developed a style entirely his own. Because of his outsider status in the artworld, his paintings have remained independent of any of the currrent prevailing artmovements yet are strong and contemporary in style.

His work is both versatile as well as accessible. In his work he expresses both personal experiences as well as his own take on social topics such as psychiatry, war and religion. Mythology is also a source of inspiration. Currents that has strongly influenced him are the expressionism and the kubism, but due to the used techniques, the striking colours and the thematics it’s nevertheless contemporary. At present he paints especially realistic.

In 1988, he met Olga; his favoriete model and muze, with whom he married in 2001. She has been his model for dozens of his paintings.

Bas Krommenhoek:    "I do not understand much of art most of the time. In fact: I sometimes do not even understand my own work. It starts with an idea, which I than try to visualise. Then I start making sketches and by doing so, the initial idea takes a more definite form. Regularly I buy the canvas before I have a clear idea of what the final painting will look like. During the process of painting I try to find out where the idea and the image came from and what they mean to me. Usually I make up the title afterwards. I am mainly an intuitive painter, more so then an intellectual one. As a result, it is sometimes difficult for me to explain my work, because I do not always know why I paint the way I do. This can pose a problem when I try to sell my work, or try to get accepted for a show or a gallery. Without accompanying slick theories or background explanation people sometimes think my work is superficial. For me, the process is the most important thing. When I paint I feel better. My creativity helps me to express my emotions. Painting is like eating, I have to paint, every day, it gives meaning to my life and makes me feel that I contribute something significant to the society. I use multi-media, sketches are made with the digital camera, scanner and the computer. Sometimes I use 3D-designsoftware to make a design. On canvas, I often use mixed-media, such as a mixture of acrylics and oils."