Paintermania 2.0

Heddy-John Appeldoorn solo

June 14 - September 7, 2022

November 1 - November 6, 2022

November 5, 2022 Finissage

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This exhibition is called Paintermania 2.0 for good reason.

Heddy-John Appeldoorn 1975, studied at the Aki in Enschede and was selected for the Royal Award for Modern Painting in 2004 and 2005. From 2006 to 2007 he then studied at the Rijksacademie in Amsterdam.

Now withdrawn to the hinterland, he cares little for the big city, here he finds the focus to work undisturbed and free.

Before painting, Heddy-John Appeldoorn makes countless intuitive sketches.

In his sketchbook you can see dream worlds, fairy tales, birds and dismal creatures emerging. The composition is determined.

And then he starts painting, inspired by painters from der Blaue Reiter. In an expressive style you see old folk tales emerging on the canvas.

Nature, animals and people's shortcomings are also brought to life with his loose touch. There is representational balance between figuration and abstraction, between consciousness and subconsciousness. New insights surprise and loom up, the longer you look at the work.

With a striking brush and playful ease, stories are told. Through this playful ease, present menace and grim themes suddenly become more lighthearted.

Mutual balance of colors are matched in conjunction with Japanese color theory that Appeldoorn interprets freely and intuïtively.

He always manages to convey the atmosphere of his paintings to me and make me feel the work. The threats, the characters, the dreamy skies.

I am impressed by his work, have known it for over a decade and continue to find it beautiful and inspiring.

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Jaap Sleper.

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