Leo Klootwijk

Lives and works in Naarden, Netherlands

Artist statement

My work is a meditation on the natural cycles of decay and renewal and our own impermanence. In my paintings nature takes center stage, not we as humans. I work primarily in oils and acrylics and I abundantly use decayed, organic materials such as leaves, grass, twigs, thatch, seeds, sand, dried flowers, and seaweed. These materials are central to my work. I see much beauty in nature’s decay. It’s the end of the cycle, but also the beginning of a new one. Gathering nature’s leftovers is as important to my work as the construction of the paintings themselves: I am a modern day hunter-gatherer, almost daily searching for the best remains. Each painting is constructed through a process of applying and layering, scraping, and embedding my finds, resulting in surfaces that feel as much excavated as painted. The resulting texture is central to my work. The muted, earthy palette—browns, ochres, grays, and faded blues and greens— evoke memories of the quiet existence and persistence of the natural world. My work carries memory— of places where natural remains symbolize past events, loss, and the quiet, continued persistence of the earth beneath our feet.

Artwork