Tibo van de Zand Dutch, b. 1985

Tibo van de Zand (1985, Utrecht) is a Dutch painter. He started painting at a young age, often together with his father, the well-known artist Jits Bakker (1937-2014). From the age of six, he painted en plein air, both in the Netherlands and abroad.

His artistic development continued at the Academy of Fine Arts in Utrecht, where he graduated with honours in 2009. Tibo and his father had studios in sun-drenched Andalusia and the rugged Belgian Ardennes. The rolling, colourful landscapes of southern Spain remain an important source of inspiration for him. He currently works from his studios in Málaga and De Bilt, but he can often be found outdoors, painting in the Dutch, Belgian or Mediterranean countryside. Like his father, Tibo sees the outside world as his largest studio. Among the olive trees under the Spanish sun or along the canals of Utrecht, he interprets observable reality in his own way.

Expressive use of colour and dynamic brushstrokes are indispensable in this process. His Fauvist style follows in the tradition of the great expressionists of the early twentieth century. Since his youth, the painter has undertaken study trips to admire the great masters of modern painting, such as Albert Marquet, Henri Matisse and Kees van Dongen. He is also inspired by the work of Vincent van Gogh, Jan Sluijters and Raoul Dufy.

Tibo combines his own artistic work with his role as chairman of the Jits Bakker Collection Foundation, where he is committed to preserving his father's legacy. At the same time, interest in and recognition of his own work is growing.