About
Beneath the Surface
Bas’ work is about going beneath the surface. It explores what it means to be alive, to be ‘under’ someone’s skin and to be close to one’s vulnerability.
Through his Blue Series the external surface of ‘blue projections are a metaphor for the outside world, also revealing some of what lies below.
Other paintings go beneath the surface of what is perceived as masculine (Masculinity Redefined). The paintings are an invitation to go beyond the physical paint layer itself.
The physical object depicted is not the actual subject of these works. The subject itself is what is not there, that what isn’t painted. It is that which is unseen, but not unfelt.
Close to the Edge
Bas’ work invites the viewer to ask questions about:
- the edges and boundaries of conventional masculinity. It invites us to explore culturally defined gender norms. It reveals another side to masculinity and it pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a man.
- the edge of realistic painting and abstraction. Within the Blue Series for example: patterns of light, colors and shapes are an external visual reality. However underneath these obscuring patterns, exists the unadulterated, pure, and sometimes naked subject. The ‘naked’, rather than the ‘nude’ is a metaphor for the true self or ‘one without layer’.
- the edge of what is internal and what is external to a subject: the Persona and the Anima, the physical and the spirit.
- the edge of what can be done with paint itself. How much needs to be rendered fully and what can be left unpainted?
“Painting can be literal. A vase and flowers can be just that and nothing more. They can be used to present a painterly technique as a goal: qualities like light, color, harmony, or ‘nature’. For me, these are not reasons to paint. Rather, it is what they purvey or express. Therein lies the symbol or the shrouded: the unseen but not unfelt. This is my subject matter.”
– Bas Nijenhuis
Teacher Klassieke Academie of Painting, main curriculum. ‘Composition and expression’. 2019- Current.
2024 Accepted as ‘Meester van het Realisme‘
2024 Expo Autrevue: March, Martiniplaza with stadsgallerie: April, Plaza Sportiva: March
2023 Asked tot join the group: Quasi-realisten
2023 ‘Kunst aan de Vaart’, Assen
2023 Selected for ‘De Nederlandse Portretprijs’, Castle Zeist
2022 Selected and refused with ‘Asleep’ for weekend of the portrait (In Memoriam) due to not being a portrait of a human.
2021 – Current Galery ‘Autrevue’, Heerenveen, various expositions
2021 Solo exhibit Galery Peter ter Braak, Groningen
2021 Selected for De Nederlandse Portretprijs and winner Publieksprijs/ public prize, Castle Zeist
2021 Selected Figurativas MEAM Barcelona with work: A Young Man
2020 – Current Galery ‘Ruigewaert’, Garrelsweer, various expositions
2020 Northern portrait Expo: ‘Ego or Emo’
2020 Interview Groninger Gezinsbode by A. Oele, art historian
2020 Interview and feature by AR[T]MOIRE
2019 Masterstudy Mancini in Drents Museum, Assen, article and short film by rtv Drente
2019 Pictura Groningen, ‘De rode draad’ with works from the blue series.
2019 Participation and work selected @ Sterren op het Doek, National Television show, featuring host: Özcan Akyol and guest: Maarten van Rossem
2019 Sep 5th Expo Cass Art London: Face to Face and interview here
2019 Sep 7th Expo: Gallery DSG Assen, selected alumni Klassieke Academie
2019 Sep 14th Expo: Theater en de verbeelding, various artists
2019 August Expo @ Gallery ‘Drentsche Aa’.
2019 ‘Girl without pearl earring’ has been selected for the BP Portrait Award 2019 @the National Portrait Gallery London
2019 Interview and feature by KUNSTENAAR Magazine and instructive article about Velatura
2017 – 2018 Teaching Painting classes @ Noorderateliers
2018 Article door The Fine Art Collective about my works and a masterclass.
2018 Selected: weekend van het zelfportret, Amsterdam
2018 Expo: ‘Best of AKKA’, galerie Paterswolde
2018 Expo: Zofier ‘Meer Mata Hari’ met 4 schilderijen: ‘Strong Women’.
2018 Expo: Pulchri Den Haag
2018 Expo: K&C (Kunst & Cultuur) Assen
2017 Expo: Beelden in Gees
2017 Expo: Lawei in Drachten
2017 Allumniportret Klassieke Academie
2017 Expo: Galerie Paterswolde ‘Pracht en praal’
2017 Graduation Exposition: Pictura Groningen
2017 Short Film by OogTV about graduation expo
2017 Article in Groninger Gezinsbode (newspaper) about genderseries
2017 Paleis Soestdijk, presentation: ‘ontmoet de meester’ (meet the master)
2017 Selected for The Dutch Potrait award