Jacob Kanbier

Jacob Kanbier (1949-2020), born in Leiden, is the founder of the Neosymbolism art trend. In 1985 he went to the art academy in Amsterdam, but he did not like the way of educating and often had arguments with teachers. That is why he has mastered the various techniques himself, so he is a self taught artist. His big inspirations are Willem de Kooning and Jean-Michel Basquiat. As a result of this, his preference goes out to the rough work, which he creates as it were in an explosion using his hands and brush. He sees himself as a part of the neosymbolism movement. He collaborated with related artists such as Justus Donker and the After Nature group of Peter Klashorst.

After periods in Paris, Prague and Friesland, Kanbier works again in his hometown Leiden. Jacob Kanbier had his first solo exhibition already in 1987 at the Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden. He also performed that year in an action painting show at Boulevard of Broken Dreams in Amsterdam, together with Herman Brood, Jules Deelder and Simon Vinkenoog. In 1989 Jacob Kanbier presents the “Manifesto Neosymbolism” in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Many national and international exhibitions followed. Nowadays he works and exhibits permanently in his beautiful gallery on Schipholweg, opposite the central station in Leiden.

There is an increasing international interest for the paintings of Jacob Kanbier and are increasingly seen in many important art collections, what is reflecting in the price development. His work is part of the art collections of, among others, Queen Juliana, Prince Willem-Alexander, the Senate Building in The Hague, De Lakenhal in Leiden, Wim Kok, Hedy d’Ancona, Rob Kampheus and Felix Rottenberg. Continue reading….