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Artist Jan Eelse Noordhuis
Born in Katwijk, the Netherlands, on 17th December 1948.
Between 1968 and 1974, Jan Noordhuis attended the Free Academy of Fine Arts (drawing, painting, etching and lithography) and studied drawing at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, both situated in The Hague.
“There I was, thinking about a human being living some two thousand years ago and looking at him from the twentieth century. What a challenge that was to me; it inspired me in my work. The ancient feel of that culture moves me as deeply as the weather-beaten look of an old sailcloth. And it always will, although I am sure that my horizon will broaden, partly as a result of the travelling I am doing now”.
Ancient cultures (in particular the magical and transitory aspects of Egyptian and African cultures), together with educational journeys to Spain, Italy, France, Turkey, Malta and Ireland have all been a source of inspiration for Jan. He has been influenced and inspired by the remains of these ancient cultures, exhibited in various museums, and they lead him to create paintings and objects in which he creates abstracts and composes various elements which determine a unique atmosphere. In order to achieve this, the artist is using mixed media and various techniques. By painting, scratching, polishing, and adding a variety of materials, the final work has a lived in feel to it. This is visible in the shape of the sculptures, mummies and half-faded text. In other words the work is aesthetically as well as emotionally charged.
