Jo van Dijk | Esther van Dijk

About this activity.

The Kunsthof presents the first in a series of duo presentations by two generations of northern artists, the work of father and daughter Jo and Esther van Dijk.

Jo van Dijk (Winschoten 1931–2000 Groningen) Jo was a self-taught painter. He was also a musician and worked as a bar pianist, among other things. Following in the footsteps of his friend the painter Jaap Nanninga, he focused on abstract, non-figurative art, with painting as his preference. He made his artistic breakthrough in the second half of the 1950s and had his first major solo exhibition in 1959, in the Mangelgang gallery. He became a member of De Ploeg and the more progressive group Nu. A stay in Morocco (1962-1964) inspired him to work in darker, more earthy colours, but from the 1970s onwards this changed and bright colours and deep contrasts were introduced. Jo worked in a lyrical abstract style until his death.

Esther van Dijk (Groningen, 1971) ‘It wasn’t until years after my father Jo passed away that I went to the Minerva Academy and graduated in 2011. “You’ve got it in your legs,” he would sometimes say to me. And I felt that too, only the bit of courage was missing. On his deathbed he asked artist Martin Tissing to guide me if I took the step. It turned out to be the missing link in my life. Art is in my blood. My sensitive nature can sometimes be difficult, but in my artistry it is my strength. In addition to graphic work and collage, I prefer to work with oil paint on panel. The slowness of the paint combined with the unruly surface of wood give “das gewisse Etwas” what I am looking for in my work.’ “The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery” (Francis Bacon) 

De Kunsthof.

Location.

De Kunsthof
Blankenstein 2
9901 AX Appingedam
www.denoordelijkekunsthof.nl/