Painter Edo Kaaij lives and works in Amsterdam, a city he finds constantly inspiring due to its vibrant energy, the stunning ancient architecture and most of all the enormous cultural diversity of its inhabitants.
Edo became fascinated with the art of painting at an early age through his grandfather who was also an artist, and has been painting professionally since 2003.
After a period of focusing on creating purely abstract paintings, Edo felt the need to incorporate further aspects of realism into his paintings. This new approach slowly developed into the style of painting Edo is known for today.
His current works are a combination of realism and mysticism, brought together by his abstract play of colours and palette strokes. Inspired by the female face, Edo combines traditional portraiture with thick paint and abstract textures which effortlessly integrate with his figurative subject.
‘When I was about 10 years old my parents bought a work from Karel Appel. His abstract art fascinated me because his seemingly random textures of paint allowed you to make your own image. Like my grandfather showed me that you don’t have to paint the sun yellow, Karel Appel’s work showed me it doesn’t have to be round either.’
"I'm always looking for a balance in the contrast of abstract and figurative form in my work, whereby I often let the subject prevail"
Edo has paintings in private collections around the world including Malaysia, South Africa, Russia and the United States.
