Jan Hendrix

JAN HENDRIX (Maasbree, Holland, 1949).
"After Nature", 2004.
Ceramic enamel on metal, copy 1/2.
Certificate of authenticity attached.
Measurements: 90 x 120 cm.
Born in the bosom of an agricultural family that opposed categorically to the election of his son to be an artist, it will be to the 17 years when, after being expelled of his own house, he begins his artistic studies in the Royal Academy of Art of Den Bosch (native town of The Bosch). Despite being expelled from the same due to his uncivic behavior, this will be the beginning of Hendrix in the artistic world. Thus -invited by the Japanese artist Shinkichi Tajiri- he will become a student of Atelier 63 in the city of Harlem, one of the most radical institutions at that time. He will continue his studies at the Jan van Eyck Academie, an institution where he will focus mainly on graphic work. Between 1971 and 1975 he will maintain contact with a group of artists based in the German city of Düsseldorf, who will influence Hendrix, already at that time a multidisciplinary artist, but who, however, will decide to focus his production entirely on graphic production. In this way, he set up a silkscreen studio in northern Norway. Thanks to a grant from the Dutch Ministry of Culture, Hendrix will travel to Mexico, where he will have his first child and, once again, a graphic workshop, a space that will be a meeting place for important artists of the time, such as Luis Lopez Loza, Emilio Ortiz, Fiona Alexander, Francisco Toledo, Gunther Gerzso, the latter being especially influential in his production. Once fully settled in Mexico, he began to investigate fractal composition, a fractal being a geometric object whose basic structure, fragmented or apparently irregular, is repeated at different scales. In this way, Hendrix delves into the sense of scale and the search for paper supports that provide a space with its own atmosphere and character. His travels in Kenya lead him to experiment with the elimination of color and the high use of contrast. In 1992 he begins the project "Bitácora", with which he travels to China, Australia, Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, Germany, Ireland and Mexico, which will open the doors to be part of the National System of Creators of the Fonca, a bridge that will allow him to exchange with young artists. Throughout his career as an artist, Hendrix has exhibited in numerous galleries, such as the Clement Gallery in Amsterdam and Holland, as well as with the Ponce Gallery, the Arte Contemporáneo Gallery and the Arte Mexicano Gallery (all three located in Mexico). His participation with La Caja Negra Gallery in Madrid stands out. He has also participated in different museums, such as Bonnefanten Museum (Maastricht), the Museum of Modern Art (Mexico City), the Imperial Archives of the Forbidden City (Beijing), the Tropenmuseum (Amsterdam), the Museum of Contemporary Art (Oaxaca), the National Chalcography of the Royal Academy of San Fernando (Madrid) and the Irish Museum of Modern Art (Dublin). In 2012, the artist received the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle in degree of insignia, the highest award given in Mexico to foreigners for their work in art and architecture. He is the third Dutchman to receive this award. Hendrix's work can currently be found in numerous public and private collections.