Born and raised in Enschede, I was already drawing and painting a lot at a young age. A chance visit to Carel Willink's studio in Amsterdam when I was ten years old made a significant impression, and in secondary school it became increasingly clear that I wanted to "do something with drawing and painting" later in life. I was admitted to the Academy of Art and Industry (AKI) in Enschede but ultimately chose the teacher training program in drawing and crafts in Groningen for greater career security.

 

After completing this training, my career in secondary education in Assen began, via a few detours. Due to various developments within education, I moved to Enschede in 1992 with my wife and by then two daughters to continue my teaching career there. In the first years of my work as a teacher, the focus gradually shifted from the visual arts to the secondary subject of technology and its further development.

 

In 2021, after ending my work as a teacher, I resumed my visual arts. Since then, I have been working with some regularity on various projects in my relatively small studio, with painting currently predominating. Encouraged by my wife, since 2023 I have been showing my artwork to the public a few times a year at art markets and exhibitions.

 

Hans