(b. 1957 Waalwijk, The Netherlands)

Arjan van Arendonk lives and works in ’s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands. He studied at the Royal Academy in Hertogenbosch.

In 2015 Arjan went to Kynsna, South Africa, to work on a body of work to exhibit at Knyna Fine Art Gallery.

Still-life painting is central to the Dutch oeuvre and with these beautiful objects van Arendonk has used 21st century materials in a way that honours a rich tradition. He works on printed fabrics using pigmented silicone and embroidery which give the pieces a sculptural quality.

“For the surface of my paintings I’ve use printed fabrics since 1990. This industrial material is transformed into a unique work of art. I am inspired by the image, the colors, the rhythm and the pattern of the fabric. I always try to add new elements to my work. A painting is really successful for me as I surprise myself with it. Since a couple of years I have been working with acrylic and silicone. By mixing powder pigments I'm able to mix any colour. The silicone enables me to cover the game of transparency with refined application. The use of embroidery (digital by the Textile Museum and machine by myself) in my paintings is fairly recent and fits perfectly with the theme of my work. The coarse embroidery and 'in progress' feel in my work gives the idea it is not quite finished yet."

Arjan van Arendonk is represented in many museum collections as well as corporate and private collections worldwide.

Arjan van Arendonk (born 31 July 1957 in Waalwijk, Netherlands) is a Dutch contemporary artist known for his innovative use of printed industrial fabrics as the foundation of his paintings. Based in ’s-Hertogenbosch, he studied at the Royal Academy for Art and Design, where he developed a fascination with the relationship between mass-produced materials and the handmade mark of the artist.

Since the early 1990s, van Arendonk has worked primarily on patterned textile surfaces, transforming them through layers of acrylic paint, pigmented silicone, and intricate embroidery. This distinctive combination creates vibrant, textured works that blur the boundaries between painting, design, and sculpture. His art often features motifs from nature—such as flowers, birds, and organic forms—set against the repetitive structures of industrial prints, creating a dialogue between chaos and order, the intimate and the commercial.

Van Arendonk’s work has been exhibited widely in the Netherlands and internationally, and his pieces are held in numerous private, corporate, and public collections. Ever curious and experimental, he continues to explore new materials and processes, aiming to surprise both himself and his viewers with every artwork he creates.

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EXHIBITIONS

2017
Summer Exhibition, Group Exhibition, Everard Read Gallery, London, UK
Amsterdam Art Fair Amsterdam group
PAN Amsterdam group

2016
PAN Galerie Wilms Venlo group
Nothing, if not beautiful… Mus v Bommel v Dam Venlo group
Paradise around the corner Galerie Wilms Venlo solo
Floralia Gorkums Museum group
Welcome to the land….. Jan v Hoof Galerie solo
Agaphantus gallery Kaapstad group

2015
PAN Jan v Hoof Galerie group
Couleur Locale Jan van Hoof galerie group
Knysna Fine Art gallery Knysna Zuid Afrika solo
Grande Provence gallery Franschhoek Zuid Afrika solo

2014
PAN Amsterdam Jan van Hoof Galerie group

2013
NNN3 mus.Bommelv Dam Venlo group
Hortus Conclusus Jan van Hoof Galerie group

2012
Beurs Realisme Amsterdam group
Jan van Hoof galerie ‘s-Hertogenbosch solo
Nanjing Municipal Museum China group
Museum Bommel van Dam Venlo solo

2011
Art Amsterdam Jan van Hoof galerie group
Noord-Brabants Museum ’s-Hertogenbosch solo
Museum de Buitenplaats Eelde group
Houses of Art Marbella Spanje solo

2010
Jan van Hoof galerie ‘s-Hertogenbosch solo
Beurs Realisme 2010 Amsterdam group

2009
Jan van Hoof galerie ‘s-Hertogenbosch solo
Museum Rijswijk Rijswijk group
Galerie Ann’s Art Groningen solo

2008
Beurs Realisme 2008 Amsterdam group
Jan van Hoof galerie ‘s-Hertogenbosch group

2006
Jan van Hoof galerie ’s-Hertogenbosch solo

2005
Museum Waterland Purmerend solo

2003
Jan van Hoof galerie ’s-Hertogenbosch solo

2002
Groninger Museum Groningen solo

2001
Galerie Witteveen Amsterdam solo 
VanderLeelie Gallery Edmonton Canada group

2000
Kunstpaviljoen Nieuw Roden solo
Museum Jan Cunen Oss solo

1998
Museum Het Kruithuis ’s-Hertogenbosch solo

1999
Groninger Museum Groningen group

1996
Nederlands Textielmuseum Tilburg solo

1993
Noord-Brabants Museum ’s-Hertogenbosch solo
Galerie Tanya Rumpff Haarlem group

1992
Museum Librije Zwolle solo

1991
Galerie van de Berg ’s-Hertogenbosch solo
Galerie Waalkens Finsterwolde solo

1990
Tentoonstelling Kon. Subsidie group
winnaar publieksprijs

Work in collections

Groninger Museum Noord Brabants Museum
Museum Het Kruithuis Den Bosch Museum Jan Cunen Oss
Nederlands Textielmuseum Tilburg Museum Bommel van Dam
ABN-AMRO Amsterdam Gemeente Amstelveen
Rabobank Groningen Gemeente Den Bosch
Rabobank Leek Van Lansschot Bankiers
Delta Lloyd Gas-Unie Groningen
Allianz PGGM
Ministerie van Buitenlandse zaken Dela
Enexis