Hans de Bruijn Dutch, b. 1959

Hans de Bruijn (1959, Leiden) studied at the Rijksacademie Amsterdam and then at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, where he graduated with honours in Painting, Drawing and Etching in 1986. 

In his paintings, De Bruijn explores the "landscape of painting". He draws inspiration from the rich history of painting, in which Romanticism plays a prominent role. This is reflected, among other things, in his works based on drawings by Albrecht Dürer, such as images of the hare and the dog. De Bruijn makes a direct link between Dürer and the 20th-century artist Joseph Beuys, whose shamanistic vision connects art with a dead hare. This combination of religious aspects and mythology gives his work a deeper meaning.​

His painting technique is characterized by the use of creamy thick paint, which he 'sculpts' with brush and knife. Through this approach, a visionary image emerges under his direction, from the chaos of movement. This method places him in the expressionist tradition, in which the passion for the expressive power of paint is central. ​

De Bruijn's oeuvre is characterized by an ongoing dialogue between past and present, tradition and innovation. His work testifies to a deep appreciation for art history, while at the same time he searches for new ways to interpret and transform these traditions.