Sea In-View | 100 years of Piet Pijn

Zee In-Zicht | 100 Years of Piet Pijn celebrates the centenary of the birth of artist Piet Pijn (1926–2002). The exhibition shows how the sea plays a central role in his body of work.

Beach and underwater scenes form the core of his work. The beach symbolises tranquillity, movement and closeness, whilst the underwater world offers scope for imagination and mystery. Together, they illustrate the relationship between people, nature and the imagination.

Beach and underwater world

In his beach scenes from the 1980s, Piet Pijn explores the coast as a landscape of light, colour and movement. Using bright colours and bold shapes, he brings together sand, sea and sky to create a vibrant whole.

In the 1990s, he turned his attention to the underwater world. Floating forms, deep colours and free compositions convey a sense of space and movement. In these works, he brings figuration and abstraction together.

About Piet Pijn

Piet Pijn was born in The Hague in 1926 and studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. He was an artist, painter, sculptor and teacher. From 1963 onwards, he taught at the Minerva Academy in Groningen, where he made a significant contribution to the development of Northern Realism. He died in Bilthoven in 2002.