Gerti Bierenbroodspot Dutch, b. 1940

Gerti Bierenbroodspot (1940, Amsterdam) is trained at the Amsterdam School of the Arts, the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, and the Institute for Drawing Teachers. She began drawing and painting in the old studio of her uncle, the famous Dutch modernist painter Leo Gestel, who died in 1941, in Huizerhoogt.

Bierenbroodspot works as a painter, sculptor, etcher and graphic artist, and also designs tapestries, ceramics and stained glass. She additionally writes poetry and prose. Her work is deeply rooted in archaeological worlds and the ancient Mediterranean; she draws inspiration from the ruins and landscapes of regions such as Petra, Palmyra and Baalbek. Using materials including oil paint, ink, handmade paper, bronze and alabaster, she creates works that evoke the ancient past while speaking to contemporary sensibilities. Thematically, she explores the “labyrinth of time,” addressing memory, decay and the persistence of civilizations, and guiding the viewer on a metaphorical journey through history and myth.

Her work has been widely exhibited in solo shows throughout her career. Notable exhibitions include a retrospective at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden (“Petra Revisited,” 2013–2014), a retrospective at Slot Zeist (2021–2022), and a solo exhibition at Parc Broekhuizen (2023–2024). Her work is represented in several important private and public collections, including the Van Bommel van Dam Museum.