Kees Salentijn is a Dutch figurative painter, born in 1947. Salentijn attended the Rijksacademie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam with O.B. Kat as his mentor. He studies paintings from Prado in Madrid and stays a period with a Berber family in Marokko.
In the 1980s Salentijn traveled a lot to Spain. He feels connected to the artists and their different styles and combines the happy CoBrA-images with the influences of the Spanish culture.
The death of matador Paguiri is the starting point for Salentijn to create his first corrida paintings. He combined these to form the “Les folues d’Espargne” which he exhibits in Amsterdam.
In the late 1980s Salentijn works between Venlo and Amsterdam where he stays with friends. In the early 1990s he moves into a n art space in Amsterdam where he starts a period of rapid production. His work is characterised by experimental use of pencils, pens, gouaches and acryllic, all in combination with graphics and prints. There is no ‘better than’ and bases his style on the denial of this principle.
Salentijn gets his inspiration from Spain, the culture, landcape, beaches etc. His works always have Spanish titles.
