Bart Kok (b. 1985) lives and works in the Netherlands. He graduated with an MA from St. Lucas School of Arts in Antwerp, Belgium in 2015 and completed the Manama Program at St. Lucas in 2017. Borrowing from art history, his oeuvre features abstract portraits of faceless figures and kaleidoscope-like landscapes.
Bart Kok actively addresses the act of painting in his works, influenced by the landscapes of Gustav Klimt, the colour tones of van Gogh and the bold tones featured in Fauvist works. He applies bright colours of brushstrokes onto the canvas, creating fantastical, imaginary realms that evoke contrasting themes such as life and death, tranquility and chaos, as well as happiness and melancholy.
He has participated in solo exhibitions such as ‘Never a dull little stroll’ (2022) and ‘You are a painter, do your job and let those who can, talk’ (2019) at Althuis Hofland Fine Arts, ‘releaseparty, 3 lithographs by Bart Kok’ at Mischkin Editions (Amsterdam, 2019), ‘THE IDEOLOGY OF PIPESMOKING’ at Ornis A. Gallery (Amsterdam, 2017) and ‘Word of Mouth’ at De Showroom (Antwerp, 2013). Selected group shows include ‘Grenswerk’ at TAC (Eindhoven, 2020) and MOM Artspace (Hamburg, Germany, 2019), ‘Prospects and Concepts’ at Van Nellfabriek (Rotterdam, 2019), ‘Quicksand’ (Antwerp, 2017), ‘Young new painters’ at Ornis A. Gallery (2017), ‘IN HET MIDDEN’ at TAC temporary art centre (Eindhoven, 2015-16), ‘No More Heroes’ at Breda (2013) and ‘Breaking the wall’ at De Fabriek (Eindhoven, Netherlands, 2012).
He has won the Royal Award for Painting in 2016. He has participated in the Art Rotterdam art fair from 2017-2022. His work is in the collections of Ahold Kunstcollectie, KPMG and Izala Zwolle, among others.