Hans Bouman (born in

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

) is a Dutch visual artist working in painting, sculpture, etching and video. He settled in Paris in

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

Life and career

Hans Bouman grew up in

Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...

, Netherlands, and earned his degrees at the Graphics School and at the Rietveld Academy of Amsterdam in

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

. After settling in Paris in 1980, he received the Painting Prize at the Salon de Montrouge in 1985, when he became a well-known and successful visual artist. Along the years, art critics Alin Avila, Gérard Barrière, Gérard-Georges Lemaire, as well as novelist Daniel Picouly wrote the prefaces to the catalogues of his one-man shows. During his career, Bouman's works have grown in a series of interconnected cycles. His hieratic heads carved in the thickness and density of the layers of paint recalled the Moai of Easter island, the

African masks Traditional African masks play an important role in certain traditional African rituals and ceremonies. Masks serve an important role in rituals or ceremonies with varied purposes like ensuring a good harvest, addressing tribal needs in times ...

or the dramatic elongations of Expressionnism. ''« The magic of Bouman lies in the play on pictorial matter and his capacity to make a forceful figure emerge from it, both literally and figuratively"'' Henri-François Debailleux wrote at the time. In a subsequent series, a whole pantheon of gods and goddesses was born from his

imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...

: Årantaleph, Olafdir, Kratikoff, Mandi Tan... He has always used photography, for instance in a series dedicated to the bunkers stranded on the beaches of the North Sea. With the development of digital photography, he merged drawing, painting and etching with the many possibilities offered by new technologies. Travelling has always been part and parcel of his artistic approach. During his stays in Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso and Foumban in Cameroon, together with local traditional bronze casters he created a series of bronze lost-wax sculptures. In 2014, he created a monumental sculpture for the Par't Sino-français in Shunde near Canton, Guangdong, that marked the anniversary of the 50 years of diplomatic relationships between France and China. When he was invited as an artist in residence by the ADEFC created by novelist Ya Ding in 2017 et 2018, Hans Bouman's work took on a new direction, inspired by the astounding landscapes of

Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...

and Hubei provinces. Hans Bouman is also the author of experimental films (''The meanders of black'', ''A Dream'' based on Franz Kafka's short story) and video portraits of his artist friends: ''Painters in Longzhou'', Christine Jean, Serge Plagnol, Fred Kleinberg, Zwy Milshtein, Bernard Ollier, Sophie Sainrapt, Albert Hirsch... Hans Bouman also works in his new studio in the countryside in the Loiret, where his recent work is permeated by the natural elements that surround him.

One-man shows (selection)

* 2023 ''Family Affairs #8'', Galerie Area, Paris, avec Margreet Bouman et Ronald Ruseler * 2022 ''Corps & Esprit III'', IF-Grenier à sel, Châtillon-Coligny * 2022 ''Lignes de Mire'', Galerie Area , Paris * 2020 ''Nature du regard'', IF-Grenier à sel, Châtillon-Coligny * 2018 ''Je peins, donc tu es'', Orangerie du Sénat, galerie Area, Paris * 2015 ''Loin des images et du bruit'', Galerie Univer / Colette Colla, Paris * 2014 ''Le Concours des torses'', Galerie Vanuxem, Paris * 2012 ''Body and Soul II'', Pink Gallery, Seoul, South Korea, * 2012 ''Body and Soul I'', Kunstdoc, Seoul, South Korea * 2012 ''Corps et Esprit II'', Espace Saint-Louis, Bar-le-Duc * 2011 ''Têtes à tête,'' La Serre, Saint-Étienne * 2010 ''En corps'', La Réserve d'area, Paris * 2008 ''Têtes ardentes'', La Réserve d'area, Paris, catalogue * 2008 ''Corps et esprit'', Centre d'art contemporain Raymond Farbos, Mont-de-Marsan * 2007 ''Suaire de soi'', La Réserve d'area, Paris * 2005 ''Labyrinthe'', avec S. Galazzo, F. Haddad et S. Sainrapt, L'Entrepôt, Paris * 2004 ''10 ans de peinture'', Galerie Le Confort des Étranges, Toulouse * 2001 Galerie Art Déco, Antananarivo * 2000 Galerie Koralewski, Paris * 1999 Galerie Simoncini, Luxembourg * 1997 ''Au pays Lobi'' avec Bertrand Rieger, espace Paul Ricard, Paris, * 1997 Centre culturel Albert Camus, Antananarivo, Madagascar * 1996 ''Œuvres récentes'', Studio Kostel, Paris, ''Œuvres sur papier'', galerie Vanuxem, Paris, ''Parcours 1985/1996'', galerie Kiron, Paris * 1995 Galerie Westlund, Stockholm, Galerie Vanuxem, Paris * 1993 ''Traits de caractère'', Chapelle de l'hôtel de ville, Vesoul * 1993 Galerie Nicole Buck, Strasbourg * 1993 Galerie Vanuxem, Paris * 1992 Galerie Simoncini, Luxembourg, * 1992 ''Sculptures'', galerie Koralewski, Paris * 1990 Studio Kostel, Paris * 1990 Galerie Vanuxem, Paris * 1990 Galerie La Cour 21, Nantes * 1987 Galleria M.R., Rome * 1987 Galerie Nicole Ferry, Paris * 1986 Galerie Flora, Espace Kiron, Paris * 1985 Galerie Jean-Claude David, Grenoble

Artist's books

* 2021 ''Family affairs #6'', 3 paper works with M. Bouman & R. Ruseler * 2020 ''Haarlem en ik'', leporello, collection Museum Haarlem * 2018 ''Le Corps derrière le corps'', text by Gérard-Georges Lemaire, Piver publisher * 2018 ''CommeUn n°17'', text by Daniel Picouly with A. Inumaru et N. Gaulier, Area Paris, Alin Avila publisher * 2016 ''CommeUn n° 7'', text by Alain Pizerra with B. Guarrigues et B. Pingeot, Area Paris, Alin Avila publisher * 2014 ''Le Concours des torses'', text by Gérard-Georges Lemaire, Piver publisher * 2013 ''Face-A-Face'', a photographic dialogue in South Korea, Piver publisher * 2012 ''Body & Soul'', Paris & Seoul,Piver publisher * 2005 ''Sextus'', text by Gérard-Georges Lemaire, Area Paris publisher * 1998 ''From Bobo to Ouaga,'' text by Hans Bouman & Tony Soulié, Yeo publisher for Area Paris * 1998 ''Family Affairs'', with M. Bouman & R. Ruseler, text by I. Lanz & D. Cunin, M.Bouman publisher () * 1997 ''Chemins croisés en Pays Lobi'', texts by G. Barrière, C. Barbier, H. Bouman, M.-C. Guyot, F. Le Graverend & B. Rieger, Espace Paul Ricard & Polaroid * 1996 ''Voici moi'', poem by Tadeusz Koralewski, illustrated by Hans Bouman, Area Paris, Alin Avila publisher * 1993 ''Têtes'', a drawing notebook, Yeo for Area Paris, Alin Avila publisher * 1993 ''Visages'', text by Gérard Barrière, galerie Vanuxem publisher, Paris

Collections

* Guangzhou FengLe Medical Technology Co, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Chine * Museum Haarlem, Haarlem, Pays-Bas * International Art Centre, Shangjin, Hubei, Chine * International Museum, Longzhou, Guangxi, Chine * P’art sino-français, Shunde, Guangdong, Chine * BNP Paribas, Paris * Ars Aevi, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina * Musée de Toulon, donation Alin Avila

Articles (sélection)

* Gérard-Georges Lemaire, ''Dans l'atelier de Hans Bouman'', Verso-hebdo, 2021 * Vitorio E. Pisu, ''Hans Bouman. Nature du regard'', Palazzi a Venezia n° 9, septembre 2020 * Alin Avila, ''Je peins, donc tu es,'' area revue n° 34, printemps 2018 * Hassouna Mosbahi, ''Un peintre hollandais à Paris'', elaph.com, 30 mars 2017 * Gérard-Georges Lemaire, ''Body and Soul'', Culture Ocean, mars-avril 2013 * Chistophe Averty, ''Les âmes silencieuses'', Artension n° 112, 2013 * Gérard Férou, ''L’Afrique fantôme d'Hans Bouman'', Les Lettres françaises, octobre 2007 * Gérard-Georges Lemaire, ''Hans Bouman '', Santé mentale, no 167, 2012 * Henri-François Debailleux, ''Hans Bouman en têtes'', Libération, 29 novembre 1996 * Françoise Monnin, ''Le double visage d'Hans Bouman'', Muséart, no 55, novembre 1995

Bibliography

* Gérard-Georges Lemaire, ''Le Noir absolu et les Leçons de ténèbres'', Hémisud, 2009 * Daniel Picouly et Gérard-Georges Lemaire, ''Têtes ardentes'', Éditions Area, 2008 * Gérard-Georges Lemaire, ''Labyrinthe'', 2004 * Alin Avila, ''Totems de silence: Hans Bouman'', 1996, Yeo éditeur pour Area, Paris (EAN 265–0006469745) * Gérard Barrière, ''Traits de caractères'', 1993 * Henri-François Debailleux, ''Hans Bouman'', Galerie Vanuxem éditeur, Paris, 1990 * Gérard Barrière, ''Hans le tenace'', Paris, 1987 * Henri-François Debailleux et Gérard-Georges Lemaire, ''Hans Bouman'', Grenoble, 1985 * Alin Avila, ''L'Éloge de la peinture,''

References

External links

www.hansbouman.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bouman, Hans 1951 births Living people Dutch artists