Peter Heij - Begonia (no.1) - Sold

From the Flowers series, mixed media with photo gallery. An intervention on the realistic reproduction of the photo with acrylic paint

Peter Heij, Utrecht 1960. Lives and works in the Auvergne, Puy de Dôme, France. Completed the Royal Academy of Art and Design (akv | St Joost) in Den Bosch with a specialization in painting (1982-1987). During this period, and afterwards, I worked figuratively, expressively and even abstractly, continuing in 1991 with the realism that had initially started in childhood.
Themes and subjects relate to people and identity in relation to the environment (series Figures/Gestalten), landscapes with reconstructions of the past (Lostlands) or skyscapes as an attempt to capture and shape the elusive (Skyscapes). More recent are the landscapes with traces of the inhabitants (Santa Fe footpaths) or faces as sketches of memories (Faces).
The Photo Paintings intervene on the realistic representation of the photo with paint or another technique. Through this intervention, the fixed and stilled reality is changed, questioned and put into perspective.

Central to this is elevation above and alienation from everyday reality without losing sight of reality in order to find other or perhaps new insights and awareness.

Peter Heij exhibits regularly.
Group exhibitions took place at;

Nel art, Cape Town, ZA; Exhibitions with selections from the gallery (2020) and Summer Salons (2021 and 2022). Curator Luan Nel. Selection of the circular Skyscapes and of the Gestalten/Figures series.
The Orange Water Contemporary Art Festival 4, Greece. Theme; Reflections of Origin. EAP (Hellenic Open University)-School of Applied Arts, Patras. 2018; Netherlands Institute Athens (NIA). Curator Apostolis Zolotakis. A selection of oil painting series Gestalten/Figures. (2018-2019).
UFOFABRIK Contemporary Art Gallery (Moena, Italy); PAT Pavia Art Talent, Pavia, Italy. Art Thessaloniki Contemporary art fair, Thessaloniki, Greece. ArtNordic International ArtFair, Lokomotivværkstedet, Copenhagen, Denmark. Hybrid Art Fair, Madrid, Spain. Wide selection, including series Gestalten/Figures, and photo paintings (2018).
Gallery Sous-Terre/Flower Art Museum, Aalsmeer. Exhibition 'Unity in diversity'. Selection of photo paintings Flowers (2018).
Gallery Lauswolt, Olterterp, Friesland. End-of-year exhibition with a varied selection (2017/8).
United States of Arts, Salon West Art Gallery, Amsterdam. Selection from the series Gestalten/Figures (2017).
Art Shopping, Salon d'art Contemporain International, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris. Queen Art Studio Gallery, Padova, Italy. Selection from the series Faces (2017).
Art project 40×40, Gallery Tuur, Venlo. Theme; 'SKIN'. Photo painting Gestalten/Figures (2016).
The Orange Water Contemporary Art Festival 2015 and 2016, Greece. Theme; Memory Landscape, at SAF (Santorini Arts Factory), Netherlands Institute Athens, the Loft (Athens), Agios Athanasios (Naousa), and Megaron Lefkon (Lefkes, Paros). Selection from the Lostlands series.
Gallery 'S', Amsterdam. Exhibition 'Men Exposen'. Photo paintings Gestalten/Figures and 'Dallas, Texas' series oil on canvas (2015).
Gallery numero 1, Paris. Exhibition 'Love etc...' with Photopaintings Gestalten/Figures (2015).
Gallery numero 1, Paris. Exhibition 'Ambiance Vénitienne' with Photo paintings Gestalten/Figures (2014).
The Netherlands Institute of Athens (NIA) showed the exhibition 'Familiar-Unfamiliar', by curator Apostolis Zolotakis. A selection of 28 works from the Photo Paintings and Photo Paintings Gestalten/Figures (2014).
At CAMP, Athens, the exhibition 'Ground Zero' with Photo Works Gestalten/Figures. And with GaleriaZero in Berlin with Faces (2014).
Gallery Peter Leen, Breukelen. Theme 20x20 cm., with Faces (2013/4).
The UFOFABRIK Contemporary Art Gallery (Moena, Italy) with Photo Paintings at G@P Gallerys at Paratissima 9, Art Games & The Others Art Fair, Turin, Italy and the Vienna Showcase, Schönborn Palace, Vienna (2013).
ReCulture 2 / 2013, 2nd International Visual Art Festival of Patras, and ChaniArt 2013, Visual Arts Journeys in the Prefecture of Chania, Neorio Moro, Crete, Greece showed the exhibition 'Familiar-Unfamiliar', by curator Apostolis Zolotakis. A selection of 28 works from the Photo Paintings and Photo Paintings Gestalten/Figures (2013).
Gallery Alex Solodov Contemporary Art, online exhibition 'Abandoned Europe'. Series Faces.
Cheapart Amsterdam 2012 with a selection from the series of Photo Paintings.
Alan Barnes Fine Art, exhibition 'Atelier 2012′, Dallas, Texas, USA. Series Santa Fe Footpaths.
LekArt 2012, theme BinnensteBuiten. Gallery 'S', Amsterdam, theme 'Contrasts' (2011).
At the University of Pennsylvania, Fox Gallery, Graduate Humanities Forum, Philadelphia, USA with the theme; In the Beginning, Exploring Origins in Contemporary Art (Lost Land IX painting) (2008). Nyenrode Castle/Galerie Peter Leen, Breukelen/Municipality Maarsen (2007) and at 8Q Mondiale Mobile Exhibition Show Your Hope, Stg. 80 Questions (travelling from 2007).

Solo exhibitions have taken place at Galerie Stam, Amsterdam, with a complete overview of the Lostlands series (2008). Galerie Acculade, Amsterdam IJburg, where the similarity between older and recent work was shown on the basis of the theme Inside and Outside World (2008). The series Gestalten/Figures has been shown in Sint Antoniesbreestraat, among others, on behalf of the art committee of Wijkcentrum d'Oude Stadt/Stadsdeel Amsterdam Centrum (2005).

Relevant trips have been made to the US (including 2003/9/12/17), Italy (1973-2010), Vietnam (2001), Sri Lanka (1999), Thailand (1995/6) and Indonesia (1994/1997 ).