About the artist

As an influential painter in his time, Bernardus (Ben) Everhardus Akkerman has maintained his status as a master of abstract painting.

As an autodidact, Akkerman only committed himself full-time to his craft in the 1980s, but was able to generate success in his early years. Following the Second World War in 1945, Akkerman co-founded De Nieuwe Groep (The New Group) along with Riemko Holtrop, Jan Broeze, Jan Schoenaker and the three Haanstra's (Folkert, Johan and Folkert Sr.). This innovative collective focused on contemporary style painting and sculpture in the hopes of increasing interest in modern art across The Netherlands, but specifically in the Eastern part of the country.

He was active for the Enschedese Kunststichting and organized the exhibition Facetten in 1958 in the Rijksmuseum Twenthe. In the late sixties Akkerman was involved in the activities of the artist-based exhibition Markt 17. In 1973 Akkerman had his first solo exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and in the same year held his first exhibition at the Art & Project Gallery (Amsterdam).

His style eventually shifted as he began to focus on abstract geometric work and minimalism, especially in his later life. His final oeuvre exists, besides hundreds of drawings and a collection of photographs, of about one hundred and fifty paintings.

His work has been included in such collections as the Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and the Municipal Museum in The Hague.

All artworks