Ben Rikken

Ben Rikken (1951)

"The motto of my work is: See, then it only exists. The reason for a painting can be a strip of light on the sea, a momentary ripple on the water, the silence after a rain shower. In all its manifestations, water is a connection between sky and land. I feel at home on the waterfront, because there light and color come together in optima forma, there I see the light "silent" with a passing storm, colors light up in the summer afternoon or glow in the I strive to translate those characteristic moods that I experience in the landscape into a palette that is challenging to me. "

Ben Rikken prefers to work on site, strengthened in his view that "if you want to paint a landscape, you have to BE there too". He captures his fascination for the changing appearances of the landscape in series of oil studies with varying color schemes with the brushwork that is characteristic of his own handwriting. Sometimes he elaborates these studies in the studio in a larger format, some of which can be seen in this exhibition.
He regularly makes trips abroad, especially southwards, to the coast of Normandy, Brittany, the French south coast, to the Italian west coast, but now mainly to the Spanish east coast. There he managed to c...

Minerva School of Arts,Groningen ( the Netherlands ) Master Fine Arts, Painting and Drawing,1972-1979.

Curriculum Vitae Ben Rikken ( Grevenbicht Nl , 1951 )


– Academie Minerva in Groningen, Master Degree Teaching , Painting and Drawing 1972-1975), Master Degree Painting and graphics ( 1975-1979 )

-1995-2014 Private teaching in painting

-2006-2007 Teacher Classical Academy in Groningen, Portrait and model

-2007-2008 Teacher Classical Academy in Groningen, Colour and colourapplication

From 1978 until now, several trips to among others France, Italy, Poland, Norway Cornwall Sapain .Lived in Italy from 2002-2003 .

Ben Rikken works and lives in Groningen

Exhibitions ( solo and group )


C V Ben Rikken
2021 Galerie Nakai, Tournus (Fr) Still-life  ,with Jérémy Bajulaz 17 september t/m 30 november
2021 Das Hollandisches Haus Muenster (Du) Dutch landscape 21 juli t/m 17 augustus
2018 Osborn Studio galery London ; Group exhibition
2016 The Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam DWDD POPUP Museum ; the choice of Nico Dijkshoorn from the collection of the Drents Museum
2012 Dutch Magic realism: fits toward Contemporary. Museum of Art, Seoul National University, ING Art Management. 10 February to 12 April.
2009 Art Mix Gallery in Antwerp (B)With Jan Zwaan and Philippe Brodzki from 7 March to 19 April
2004 National ...