Peter Heij - Despair (Mixed technique)

From the series of photo paintings Figures/Gestalten. Mixed media with photography. An intervention on the realistic representation of the photo with oil paint.

Figures/Gestalten. A series of 'portraits' with images of the outside world that form the inside world.

Peter Heij, Utrecht 1960. Lives and works in the Auvergne, Puy de Dôme, France. Completed the Royal Academy of Art and Design (akv | St Joost) in Den Bosch, specializing in painting (1982-1987). In this period, and afterwards, he worked figuratively, expressively and even abstractly, continuing in 1991 with the realism that had initially begun in his youth.
Themes and subjects relate to man and identity in relation to the environment (Figures/Gestalten series), landscapes with reconstructions of the past (Lostlands) or skyscapes as an attempt to capture and shape the intangible (Skyscapes). More recent are the landscapes with traces of the inhabitants (Santa Fe footpaths) or faces as sketches of memories (Faces).
Photo painting involves interfering with the realistic representation of the photo with paint or another technique. This intervention changes, questions and puts the recorded and tranquil reality into perspective.

The focus is on elevation above and alienation from everyday reality without losing sight of reality in order to find different or perhaps new insights and awareness.

Group exhibitions took place at, among others:
Nel art, Cape Town, SA; Exhibitions with selections from the gallery (2020) and Summer Salons (2021 and 2022). Curator Luan Nel. Selection of circular Skyscapes and Gestalten/Figures series.
The Orange Water Contemporary Art Festival 4, Greece. Theme; Reflections of Origin. EAP (Hellenic Open University)-School of Applied Arts, Patras. 2018; Netherlands Institute Athens (NIA). Curator Apostolis Zolotakis. A selection of oil paintings series Gestalten/Figures. (2018-2019).
UFOFABRIK Contemporary Art Gallery (Moena, Italy); PAT Pavia Art Talent, Pavia, Italy. Art Thessaloniki Contemporary art fair, Thessaloniki, Greece. ArtNordic International ArtFair, Lokomotivværkstedet, Copenhagen, Denmark. Hybrid Art Fair, Madrid, Spain. Wide selection including series Gestalten/Figures, and photo paintings (2018).
Galerie Sous-Terre/Flower Art Museum, Aalsmeer. Exhibition 'Unity in diversity'. Selection of photo paintings Flowers (2018).
Galerie Lauswolt, Olterterp, Friesland. End-of-year exhibition with a varied selection (2017/8).
United States of Arts, Salon West Art Gallery, Amsterdam. Selection from the series Gestalten/Figures (2017).
Art Shopping, Salon d'art Contemporain International, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris. Queen Art Studio Gallery, Padova, Italy. Selection from the series Faces (2017).
Art project 40×40, Galerie Tuur, Venlo. Theme; 'SKIN'. Photo painting Gestalten/Figures (2016).
The Orange Water Contemporary Art Festival 2015 and 2016, Greece. Theme; Memory Landscape, at SAF (Santorini Arts Factory), Netherlands Institute Athens, the Loft (Athens), Agios Athanasios (Naousa), and Megaron Lefkon (Lefkes, Paros). Selection from the Lostlands series.
Gallery 'S', Amsterdam. Exhibition 'Men's Exhibition'. Photo paintings Gestalten/Figures and 'Dallas, Texas' series oil on canvas (2015).
Galerie numéro 1, Paris. Exhibition 'Love etc...' with Photo Paintings Gestalten/Figures (2015).
Galerie numéro 1, Paris. Exhibition 'Ambiance Vénitienne' with Photo Paintings Gestalten/Figures (2014).
The Netherlands Institute Athens (NIA) showed the exhibition 'Familiar-Unfamiliar', by curator Apostolis Zolotakis. A selection of 28 works from the Photo Paintings and Photo Paintings Gestalten/Figures (2014).
At CAMP, Athens, the exhibition 'Ground Zero' with Photo Works Gestalten/Figures. And with GaleriaZero in Berlin with Faces (2014).
Gallery Peter Leen, Breukelen. Theme 20x20 cm., with Faces (2013/4).
The UFOFABRIK Contemporary Art Gallery (Moena, Italy) with Photo Paintings at G@P Gallerys at Paratissima 9, Art Games & The Others Art Fair, Turin, Italy and the Vienna Showcase, Schönborn Palace, Vienna (2013).
ReCulture 2 / 2013, 2nd International Visual Art Festival of Patras, and ChaniArt 2013, Visual Arts Journeys in the Prefecture of Chania, Neorio Moro, Crete, Greece showed the exhibition 'Familiar-Unfamiliar', by curator Apostolis Zolotakis. A selection of 28 works from the Photo Paintings and Photo Paintings Gestalten/Figures (2013).
Gallery Alex Solodov Contemporary Art, online exhibition 'Abandoned Europe'. Series Faces.
Cheapart Amsterdam 2012 with a selection from the Photo Paintings series.
Alan Barnes Fine Art, exhibition 'Atelier 2012′, Dallas, Texas, USA. Series Santa Fe footpaths.
LekArt 2012, theme BinnensteBuiten. Gallery 'S', Amsterdam, theme 'Contrasts' (2011).
At the University of Pennsylvania, Fox Gallery, Graduate Humanities Forum, Philadelphia, USA with the theme; In the Beginning, Exploring Origins in Contemporary Art (painting Lost Land IX) (2008). Nyenrode Castle / Peter Leen Gallery, Breukelen / Maarsen Town Hall (2007) and at 8Q Mondiale Mobile Exhibition Show Your Hope, Stg. 80 Questions (travelling since 2007).

Solo exhibitions took place at Galerie Stam, Amsterdam, among others, with a complete overview of the Lostlands series (2008). Galerie Acculade, Amsterdam IJburg, where the similarity between older and recent work was shown based on the theme Inner and Outer World (2008). The series Gestalten/Figures have been shown in Sint Antoniesbreestraat, among others, on behalf of the art committee of Wijkcentrum d'Oude Stadt/Stadsdeel Amsterdam Centrum (2005).

Relevant trips have been made to the US (including 2003/9/12/17), Italy (1973-2010), Vietnam (2001), Sri Lanka (1999), Thailand (1995/6) and Indonesia (1994/1997 ).