HENK ROOZENDAALPAINTER OF BONAIRE
Visitors of the Dutch Caribbean island Bonaire will notice a lot of realistic art works painted in a distinctive colorful style. Most notably at Cultimara Supermarket, in the main hotels and in many private collections.
The artist, Henk Roozendaal, moved in 1999 from the country of Rembrandt and Van Gogh to diver’s paradise Bonaire. An island with a long mural tradition. Starting as a muralist he had to ‘reinvent painting again’. To avoid very fast fading in the tropical sun the artist decided to use only 100% saturated colors. He discovered how to paint flat colors with a 3-dimensional result. This is how he developed his very recognizable ‘stylized realism’.
In and beyond Bonaire Roozendaal is known for his portraits that really seem to ‘catch people’s soul’. Together with author Guus Gerritsen he produced two volumes of ‘Portraits of Bonaire’. Two wonderful publications with painted and written portraits of dozens of remarkable islanders.
