Willem van der Hofstede Dutch, b. 1957

Willem van der Hofstede (Rotterdam, 1957) studied at the Vrije Academie in Amsterdam and at the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, The Hague where he graduated in 1995. The works of Van der Hofstede show a profound interest in his direct environment. With photos, drawings and paintings he tries to get a hold on the ever changing city.

He first concentrated on demolition, new architecture, and the clash between old and new functions. "I dwell on places that give me back something from the past." Van der Hofstede began painting demolition sites when a tall building near his home was being demolished. Every day, a piece of the building was torn down, and he realised that he had to act quickly if he wanted to capture something of it. He created a series of paintings of demolition sites and construction sites. This series was named "The Dynamic City".

As Van der Hofstede became more involved in urban planning, he wanted to understand how architecture and infrastructure determine the face of a city. He often viewed the city from a high vantage point. This became the series 'Structures of the City'. Then came the theme 'Nature in the City'. Whereas his paintings used to show only glass, stone and steel, he now went in search of places where culture and nature come together. This often takes him to historic city centres, such as Utrecht, where nature is allowed to take its course in a carefully planned manner: the old trees on the Utrecht wharves along the Oude- and Nieuwegracht are a good example of this.