gerrit benner prize 2017

pedro bakker
4 november t/m 31 december 2017
gerrit benner prize 2017

gerrit benner prize 2017

pedro bakker

Frisian artist Pedro Bakker (1952) has been awarded the GERRIT BENNER Prize 2017. This biennial prize for visual art includes an exhibition at the Museum of Friesland. Bakker won the prize because of how his work has developed over the past two years. His colourful and challenging drawings, inspired by his stay in China, will be displayed in the museum from 4 November to 31 December 2017.

From the end of 2014, Bakker stayed in China for a long time to work on his project Madame Mao, a sequel to the work To Draw Politically. In the exhibition we follow Bakker's development from the last political work he made in the Netherlands about the murder of Theo Van Gogh to his more recent work, in which he explores themes such as Orientalism, cultural differences and the artist and his muse.

challenging storyteller

The jury of the GERRIT BENNER Prize was impressed by Bakker's classic drawing style and vivid, colourful works: ‘The drawings are characterised by a raw figuration and a high degree of directness. They testify to craftsmanship, while content-wise there is a constant quest for friction. Bakker’s work enters into an intense relationship with the present time and society, in which the notion of “the other” can be paired with discomfort and friction.’ Bakker is considered as a storyteller who continues to renew himself without losing his recognisable signature.

gerrit benner prize

The GERRIT BENNER Prize was set up by the Province of Friesland to stimulate the visual arts. With the prize, the Province of Friesland wants to foster the public's attention for the visual arts. To be eligible for this prize, the artist must live and/or work in Friesland.

Keunstwurk and the Museum of Friesland award the GERRIT BENNER Prize on behalf of the Province of Friesland.

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