The   Maurice Heerdink  Gallery

 

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"Ever since I was born in 1955 I held a pencil in my hand. It was evident that I would go to the Royal Art Academy in The Hague to become an artist. But nobody warned me that this meant a life of praises and poverty.

From my earliest exhibitions on I showed theme-series.

After extended travels through Middle America and I made a series about the MAYA CULTURE I am still proud.

On the other hand I was fascinated by MOVIES and SHOWBIZZ PERSONALITIES and created a series including Liza Minnelli, Eartha Kitt, Milva, Hildegard Knef, Quentin Crisp. Also several portraits of the notorious Dutch Mathilde Willink which were later used in a tv-documentary.

After the romance of poverty wore off -there is a time to be artistic and a time to be realistic- I started doing COMMERCIAL WORK. Hard, but rewarding work. During these few years I learned more then in all the previous academy years.

In 1995 I decided to return into the art world with a collection of MALE NUDES, another major theme in my work. An immediate success. The appeal of my male nudes lies in the way I leave something to the imagination of the viewer. Everybody has his own beauty-ideal and I think it is the right, no the obligation, of an artist to exploit his. But more and more I became interested in dramatic paitings, hence the CLASSIC MYTHOLOGY.

At that time internet came along and through my website I became able to show my work to the whole world. Suddenly people from Alaska to New York purchased my work.

In 2004 I portrayed five DUTCH THEATER PERSONALITIES. I felt honoured when these celebrities were pleased to cooperate.  As a follow-up I painted several SELFPORTRAITS in 2006."

Maurice also gives lectures and classes on art.

He lives in Voorburg, (near The Hague, a big city on the North Sea Coast next to Scheveningen) 45 minutes from Amsterdam. VISITS TO HIS STUDIO/GALLERY by appointment only.