Duo exhibition: Joris van Spaendonck & Patrick Bergsma

The colorful paintings by Joris van Spaendonck and the impressive sculptures by Patrick Bergsma can be admired by appointment at Van Loon Galleries from 6 March to 18 April 2021.

Joris van Spaendonck (Netherlands, 1962)

The daily brisk walks in nature are inspiring for Joris van Spaendonck. Nature with its trees, branches, flowers, mosses and bark is a support for his work. The ever-recurring play of the seasons, the organisms that create the most beautiful structures on bark or moss soil, the splendor of colors on an autumn leaf or the fresh hue that emerges in spring. These are elements from nature that continue to fascinate Joris enormously.

He takes these impressions with him in his head to his studio, where he makes his own unique translation of these components. Joris van Spaendonck wants to paint his works more intensely than the actual reality. Van Spaendonck then makes adjustments, if necessary, when he experiments with his many different materials and paints when they mix with each other. The artist creates his own whole. He would therefore like to invite the people who view his paintings to get very close to his work and to discover his, almost natural, organisms in puddles of paint and in the deep drawing of his branches and flora. In this way you discover that ‘paint ansich’ is the main theme in the work of Joris van Spaendonck.

Patrick Bergsma (Netherlands, 1965)

Patrick Bergsma’s fascination for antiques, porcelain and bonsai comes together in his contemporary work; sculptures of broken antique ceramics, through which his handmade bonsai grows. They look like archaeological finds that have been carefully wrenched from a forgotten Asian landscape. Pieces of solidified time that strangely seem to still be alive. The craft and broken art of centuries ago live on in his new works of art.

He developed his own techniques and a secret process to make his trees. They are indistinguishable from real ones. He uses coconut fiber, oil-based plastic, kaolin and quartz. There is always decay and nature wins over what man has created. Patrick lets nature win in his work, as it does in real life, if we do not intervene. Everything he has discovered and developed comes together harmoniously in these masterpieces. They are lively, expressive and balanced works that never get boring.

Opening exhibition

The exhibition was officially opened from Saturday 6 March. The artist were present on Saturday 6 March and Sunday 7 March to tell you more about the different works.

Opening hours gallery (by appointment)

Wednesday to Friday: 11.00 a.m. – 17.00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 12.00 noon – 17.00 p.m.