Peter de Vries
Peter de Vries, artist and collector, works from a former carpentry factory measuring no less than 700 m². An immense space with high ceilings, filled to the brim with art and curiosities. It is more than just a studio – it is his personal sanctuary.
Surrounded by an eclectic collection of objects – from antique cash registers to ginger jars, scientific instruments, and hundreds of art books that inspire him – he works daily on his colourful and expressive artworks, large and small. He is always busy. Creating and collecting is not just his passion; it is who he is.
Peter has been painting since childhood. As a teenager, he ordered canvases measuring two by two metres. At nineteen, he rented a studio in a former school building in Amsterdam, where Karel Appel also had a space. They had fascinating conversations, and Peter learned a great deal from him there.
Peter also creates work that explores a more symbolic and personal dimension: masks. Fascinated by their deeper meaning, he sees masks not only as objects to hide something but as bearers of identity and connection.