Parra (1976), whose unmistakable style of rich color and playful precision moves on the edge of abstraction and figuration, has been celebrated by international galleries and championed by a devout underground following, Parra has become a respected artist, through solo exhibitions spanning Asia, the United States, and Europe. He is generally regarded as a founder of a contemporary style that is enigmatic and instantly recognizable and that refers to early 20th-century art movements and painters. In his paintings and sculptures the female form often serves as the protagonist. The scenes in Parra’s painting communicate strong emotions and powerful gestures that hint at a personal narrative.
For the first time in the Netherlands, Gallery Vriend van Bavink offers a gallery presentation by Parra. In recent years Parra has presented successful solo exhibitions in galleries in Paris, Bangkok, New York and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among other places. In the Netherlands he has mainly presented sculptural work in the public space and a museum setting. He has previously exhibited work in the Kunsthal Rotterdam and the museum Het Hem.
Nik Christensen(1973), known for many years for his large-format black-ink-on-paper drawings, will be showing new pieces created on canvas. Still executed in black Japanese sumo-ink, which has an unpredictable way of drying, it marks a new chapter in Christensen’s work. Spending time and maintaining a studio in Kameyama, Japan, has allowed him to make different types of Japanese material, ink and brush his own, which is unfolded in his new works. In the new series there is a clear influence of Japanese culture with hints in the direction of Kurosawa’s movies, Ukiyo-e prints, as well as to traditional Japanese theater, Kabuki and Butoh dance.
Christensen’s work is held in the collections of the Gemeente Museum Den Haag, the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam among others, as well as in major public and private collections internationally.
2022 was the year of Koos Buster (1991). Buster has made a successful effort to make ceramics sexy again, in the wake of his acclaimed show at Vriend van Bavink, “The ministry of ceramic affairs” (rated as best exhibit of 2022 by Parool 24/12).
As a sneak preview of a solo exhibition to be held at the gallery in March, Koos Buster will display a new series of works at Art Rotterdam. Buster went to Japan as an artist in residence to gain inspiration and since then has been working at the Europees Keramisch Werkcentrum ( EKWC) in Oisterwijk . The facilities there made it possible for him to create large ceramic works such as Cash Machines, Shrine Dogs and Energy Drink Dispensers. In his work Koos Buster honors everyday objects by freezing them in ceramics. With his unmistakable artistic lines he turns the ordinary into something cheerful and precious. At Art Rotterdam Koos Buster will also present a Japanese cash machine alongside work by Aldo van den Broek that he made during a residency in Tokyo.
Art Rotterdam adds a unique element to its programming - Sculpture Park - a presentation of large-format works of art that enter into relationships with nature and the urban environment. Esther Kokmeijer will present her work Sedimentary Rock.
Sedimentary Rock (Rotterdam) is an installation of cylindrical concrete core samples and wooden crates. The cores were excavated from a fenced area situated in the north-east of Rotterdam - a wasteland covered by a thick layer of concrete slabs. The last use made of the land was by a private factory called the Rotterdamse Betoncentrale. This firm had patented a secret recipe by which they mixed cement with waste and toxic waste materials to create concrete.