Biography – Exhibitions – Public Collections – Publications
Peter Heij, born in Utrecht in 1960, lives and works in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He attended the Royal Academy for Art and Design, Den Bosch from 1982 to 1987, specializing in painting. Works during this period, and thereafter include figurative, expressionistic, abstract, and a continuation of the realism with which he originally started in his youth and in the period before academy, now enriched with the knowledge gained at the academy.
Many of the themes and subjects of these works deal with people and the relationship of their surroundings to their identities; landscapes with reconstructions of the past and skyscapes, attempting to catch and shape that which cannot be captured.
The experience of new and changed insights and awareness through elevation above and distance from everyday reality, never completely losing sight of that reality, stands central in his work.
He has regularly exhibited both in the Netherlands and abroad.
Recent solo exhibitions took place at Gallery Stam, Amsterdam, with an overview of the Lost Land series (2008), and at Gallery Acculade, Amsterdam IJburg, where the comparision between older and recent work contrasting the themes of the inner and outer worlds (2008). The series Figures/Gestalten was shown at the Sint Antoniesbreestraat (a street exhibition) as a commission from the art commission of Wijkcentrum d’Oude Stadt (city of Amsterdam Centre) (2005).
Recent group exhibitions took place at University of Pennsylvania, Fox Gallery, Graduate Humanities Forum, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. with the theme; In the Beginning, Exploring Origins in Contemporary Art (painting Lost Land IX) (2008), at Castle Nyenrode/Gallery Peter Leen, Breukelen/Gemeentehuis Maarsen (2007) and at 8Q Mondial Global Exhibition Show Your Hope, Fnd. 80 Questions (travelling since 2007).
He has made travels significant to artistic development to the U.S.A. (among other in 2003/2006/2009), Italy (since 1973, recent 2004), Vietnam (2001), Sri Lanka (1999), Thailand (1995/1996), and Indonesia (1997/1994).
Education
1982 – 1987
Royal Academy for Art and Design (akv | St Joost), Den Bosch. Specialized in painting.
Solo exhibitions (selection)
2009 + 2010
Open Studios Nieuwmarkt, Amsterdam.
2008
Gallery Stam, Amsterdam.
Gallery Acculade, Amsterdam IJburg.
2007
Open Studios Nieuwmarkt, Amsterdam.
2005
Wijkcentrum d’Oude Stadt, project ‘Figures in the Sint Antoniesbreestraat’, Amsterdam.
Gallery Acculade, Amsterdam IJburg.
2001
de Baak Art Gallery, Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
Group exhibitions (selection)
2011
Gallery Stam, Amsterdam.
Gallery ‘S’, exhibition ‘Contrasts’, Amsterdam.
2009 + 2010
Gallery Stam, Amsterdam.
Open Studios Nieuwmarkt, central exhibition.
2008
Hotel Gallery Pulitzer, Amsterdam.
Gallery Stam, Amsterdam.
University of Pennsylvania, Fox Gallery, Graduate Humanities Forum, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.;
‘In the Beginning, Exploring Origins in Contemporary Art’.
2007
Gallery Peter Leen/Castle Nyenrode, Breukelen, Townhall Maarssen, The Netherlands.
Open Studios Nieuwmarkt, central exhibitions at Chiellerie and Pintohuis, Amsterdam.
8Q Mondial Global Exhibition Show Your Hope, Fnd. 80 Questions.
2006 + 2007
M.I.A.D. Venado Tuerto 2006 International Exhibition of digital art, Sante Fe, Argentina.
2006
Gallery Acculade, Amsterdam IJburg.
2005
Gallery Peter Leen, Breukelen, The Netherlands.
2004
Holland Art Fair, The Hague, The Netherlands-Gallery De Opsteker (Amsterdam).
2003
Lineart art fair, Gent, Belgium-Gallery De Opsteker (Amsterdam).
Allegany Arts Council-Saville Gallery, Will’s Creek Survey, Cumberland, Maryland, U.S.A.
2002 + 2003
Holland Art Fair, The Hague, The Netherlands-Gallery De Opsteker (Amsterdam).
1999
Gallery Ploos van Amstel, Summer-and Autumn Exhibitions, Amsterdam.
1998 + 1999
Institute for Religian Sciences, State University Groningen, The Netherlands;
‘Eternal Vulnerable. Modern Art and Religion’.
Feb/Mar 1999
Museum Abtei Kamp, Kamp-Lintfort, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Jan/Oct 1998
Faculty for Religian Science, State University-Museum Gerardus van de Leeuw, Groningen.
Museum voor Religian Art, Uden, The Netherlands.
Museum Begijncourtchurch, Saint-Truiden, Belgium.
Public Collections
R.O.C. Amsterdam, Municipality of Amsterdam, SBK.
Publications (selection)
2009 + 2008
Kunstgids/Art Guide Amsterdam; Edition 2009, pg. 114. Edition 2008, pg. 127.
2008
University of Pennsylvania, Fox Gallery, Graduate Humanities Forum, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.;
‘In the Beginning, Exploring Origins in Contemporary Art’; Catalog.
2007
The Uitkrant, Amsterdams Uitburo; Open Studios Nieuwmarkt, Amsterdam, with pict. ‘Figures III’.
The William and Mary Review-The College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S.A.), pict. ‘Reclining Amsterdam’.
2005
De Echo, (newspaper Amsterdam); project ‘Figures in the Sint Antoniesbreestraat’, Amsterdam, pict. ‘Gestalten III’.
2004
Kunstbeeld (art magazine), edition Nov.; Pict. ‘David in Amsterdam’, about Holland Art Fair.
2003
Cumberland Times (newspaper Maryland, U.S.A.); Exhibition Will’s Creek Survey, Allegany Arts Councel’s Saville Gallery, pict. ‘Skyscape I’.
1999
De Gay Krant (monthly newspaper), edition 390/July; Review with Gallery Ploos van Amstel (pict. ‘Looking for God’).
1998
Fier (magazine), editions March/April and Nov./Dec.; Critics and review by A. Westra (pict. ‘Looking for God’) and follow up by E. Maeckelberghe.
Eindhovens Dagblad (newspaper Netherlands); Review Mary Winters; ‘Eternal Vulnerable. Modern art and religion’, exhibition State University Groningen, Netherlands.
Friesch Dagblad (newspaper Netherlands); Review/interview Grada Kos; Eternal Vulnerable. Modern art and religion, exhibition State University Groningen, Netherlands.
Catalog; ‘Eternal Vulnerable. Modern art and religion’. Exhibition State University Groningen, Neth., pg. 84, pict. ‘Looking for God’ with text by Dr. David Bos.