Hans Leijerzapf is regarded as an established artist whose creative work reached prominence during the 1970s. He was born in Leiden, The Netherlands (1951).
Hans Leijerzapf’s artistic career was shaped predominantly by the 1970s. The art sphere of that decade was marked by radical shifts and new artistic movements that emerged as offshoots of the 1960s. Hans Leijerzapf wished to follow a different path where he aims to visualize and narrate recognisable stories. His objective was to provoke curiosity in the viewer and to stimulate their own imagination.
During this period, the Return to Figuration (neo-figurative painting) was a countermovement to the Minimalism. Neo-figurative painting reintroduced more recognisable forms. During this period Klaas Gubbels, Auke de Vries en Herman Berserik were inspirations to Hans Leijerzapf’s work. They were teachers from Hans Leijerzapf at the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten (The Hague).
Through the years Hans Leijerzapf further deepened his signature; where his expertise lay in working with darkness and (candle)light.
This cultural and artistic climate—defined by bold experimentation, philosophical questioning, and international artistic dialogue—formed the backdrop against which Hans Leijerzapf’s work developed and found recognition.
