Henk van Vessem — A Master of Emotion and Abstraction

Henk van Vessem was a singular voice in Dutch contemporary art, born and based in Rotterdam, whose powerful and intuitive visual language has captivated collectors and galleries for decades. Educated at the Rotterdam Academy of Visual Arts (1959–1962), Van Vessem quickly established himself as an artist of substantial presence in the world of lyrical abstraction, with his first exhibition in Rotterdam’s De Doelen in 1968.

Throughout his long career, Van Vessem’s work was defined by an extraordinary expressive intensity, paintings and works on paper that reveal deep feeling, liberated from representational constraints, yet rich with emotion and associative resonance. His process was anything but preconceived: painting “from the gut,” he allowed inner experience,  landscapes, cosmic space, poetic imagery,  to emerge directly on the canvas with vibrant colour, dynamic composition, and a fluid interplay of forms.

What makes Van Vessem’s oeuvre truly compelling is the sense of life and spontaneity that animates every piece. Whether through bold, contrasting hues or the lyrical gestures of his brush and palette knife, his work projects a vivid emotional energy that reaches beyond visual abstraction, inviting viewers into a profound and personal experience.

Van Vessem was also a significant cultural figure beyond his own practice. He co-founded influential artist initiatives, including Stichting Open Kunst and the Grafisch Atelier Rijnmond, supporting fellow artists and creative exchange. His work was shown nationally and internationally, included in private and institutional collections — reflecting both artistic ambition and poetic subtlety.

On 14 January 2026, Henk van Vessem passed away, leaving behind a rich and evocative body of work. No new paintings will be made, making existing pieces all the more meaningful for collectors and admirers of contemporary abstraction. Each work is a testament to an artist who painted not just what he saw, but what he felt.