Frank ‘t Hoen was born with a paintbrush in his hand in 1980 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. His passion for painting came at an early age, being influenced by American cartoons and pop culture and later on by classical artists such as Modigliani, Marcel Duchamps and Picasso. For the last decade he has been living in Amsterdam, where he both studied and developed his skills and reputation as an artist.
Frank’s early work is mainly dominated by street art. He made the transition to canvas in the late nineties, inspired by workshops at the St. Joost Academy for Fine Arts in Breda. Ever since 2003, Frank has exposed his work through several exhibitions from internationally like a true globetrotter. The centre key of his portraits lies with women, who he paints in his own unique style.
In an interview he once said:
" I think women are beautiful, women are therefore the main object in my paintings. Women have something magical, pure and fragile, whereas they can be very powerful at the same time.
Painting is my way of expressing in pictures and colors this love for women. For me, a woman’s face is the most important part of her body. A face can express all different kind of emotions and moods. In a way, every face consists of a thousand more faces.
I don’t paint every single day, but when I do, it is always with passion and commitment. My work has a pinch of punk, mixed with pop art and a dash of erotic minimalism. The shape, the look, the posture and the brushstrokes are very dynamic.
All that aside, I simply feel that what I create has to be something I find beautiful. I don’t think art always needs an explanation or a message. The strength of an images lies in the fact that it appeals to whomever, for whatever reason."
Nowadays, Frank’s great ability to work with many different media, including digital, has allowed him to have his work seen by a much larger audience. With a presence on the internet, his work is much celebrated by both Dutch as international critics. Not only that, it also gives art lovers from all over the world the opportunity to meet this young creative Dutchman.