Gert-Jan Akerboom

Testimonials:

"Eschewing easily interpretable statements in his work, Gert-Jan Akerboom prefers ambiguous signals, dreamlike in nature; they can be interpreted in myriad ways, none of them right or wrong. His drawings take their energy from this unfixed, shifting view of reality, synthesizing precise observation and associative speculation about alternative possibilities.
Akerboom’s drawings are filled with the objects and themes that trigger his “dreamwatching” state of mind: Architecture, archeology, ruins, mystic or religious sites and ritual. Collaging the possibilities and impossibilities of these inspirations, wedding them with fragments of popular culture, like Manga, computer graphics, photography and Street-art, the artist lets us witness candid, highly obsessive, painstakingly precise results that are proof of an unique sensibility and imagination."

- Kunstraum Richard Sorge, Berlin

“What Akerboom chooses to highlight –or place in shadow- with this most traditional of artistic crafts often makes a dramatic difference to what we actually see. What, in effect, could be fairly straightforward scenes are transformed into strange vistas with distorted perspective and areas of against-the-grain light and shade that change the normal into the mystical and ritualistic.”

- Ken Pratt, London

CV

Born 05-07-1978 in Gouda.
Lives and works in Berlin.
2009 - Assistant of U.S. American artist Julie Mehretu in her Berlin studio, Berlin, Germany


Education:

1995 - 2000 Study of graphic design and illustration, Grafisch Lyceum, Rotterdam, Netherlands
2000 - 2005 Bachelor in Fine Arts, Willem de Kooning Academie, Rotterdam, Netherlands


Exhibitions

2009 - "Bring Down Your Ruler" group show at Atelierhof Kreuzberg - Berlin, Germany.
2009 - "Anonymous Drawing" at Fruehsorge Contemporary Drawing, Berlin, Germany
2009 - "No-tears" PDF Artmagazine (www.notearsmagazine.com)
2008 - "BHC Kollektiv 3" group show at HBC - Berlin, Germany.
2008 - "Nomad Biennial of Tehran" at Newyorck in Bethanien - Berlin, Germany.
2008 - "Goodbye Hirofumi" group show at Waschhaus gallery - Berlin, Germany.
2008 - "2nd Bankok Triennale for Drawing and Print" - Bangkok, Thailand.
2008 - "Negative Party" one-man show at Waschhaus Gallery - Berlin, Germany.
2008 - "YES" group show at Showroom MAMA - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2008 - "13th Lindart" artist in residence - Lendava, Slovenia.
2008 - "Joint Custody Project" group show and project at Raab Gallery -Berlin, Germany.
2008 - "Dark sky" online magazine (www.darkskymagazine.com)
2008 - "Nomad Biennial" group show at Parkingallery - Istanbul, Turkey.
2008 - "Draw-in" group show at 00130 Gallery - Helsinki, Finland.
2008 - "Game Zone de Singel" group show at "de Singel"- Antwerp, Belgium.
2007 - "Twilight Zone" group show, Showroom MAMA booth at "Year07 Artfair" - London, UK.
2007 - "ground Zero, Size Zero" group show at Vegas Gallery - London, UK.
2007 - "Lift-Off" group show at "Gogbot festival" - Enschede, Netherlands.
2007 - "Hilda" online magazine (www.hildamagazine.net)
2007 - "New collection" group show at CBK - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2007 - "Low-Tek Arcade" at Motel Mozaique - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2006 - "Fantasy Island" group show, Showroom MAMA booth at Preview Berlin - Berlin, Germany.
2006 - "Stick Figure" group show at Showroom MAMA - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2006 - "Low Tek Projects" at Wereld van Witte de With - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2006 - "Confuse EXE" group show at Electron Hal - Breda, Netherlands.
2006 - "R.I.P.(ped) solo at CBK Rechtsachter - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2006 - "Low Tek Projects" at de Kunstsuper - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2005 - "Groupshow" at Blaak10 Gallery - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2005 - "Graduation 2005" group show at TENT - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2005 - "Work presentation" at Schiekade 189 - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2005 - "Beet" group show at Verbeten Kunst - Breda, Netherlands.
2005 - "exhibition" solo at Squat deluxe - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2005 - "Tridium Sacrum" group show at de Doelen - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2005 - "work presentation" at WDKA Showroom - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2003 - "Under construction" group show at Showroom MAMA - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2003 - "Bruut" group show at Showroom MAMA - Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2002 - "Hottentotten" group show at Showroom MAMA - Rotterdam, Netherlands.