Leon Aarts
141 posts | 1,073 images
Leonardus Aarts, born in 1961, is an abstract expressionist artist living in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Influences to his style of painting are Alan Pearson, his art teacher at school, (RIP Alan), Brett Whiteley (RIP Brett), Wassily Kandinsky (RIP), and his Grandfather, Leonardus (Nardus) van de Ven (RIP Opa). Nardus van de Ven painted mostly at night to produce his paintings, on any days off from his railway workers duties (or after his clocking out), he would venture into the forest and public land to paint 'plein air' and sketch or paint his observations. This was his understanding of absorbing and reproducing his memories of the observations through his eyes at the time. And then, oh yes, he realised via his knowledge of the works of Van Gogh, he could add his own observations in light and vision, in his own perceived interpretation of light. This was the visions of a railway worker with very limited education (as he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis at 6 yrs and effected him ever attending public school and who was effectively illiterate), who somehow understood the visionary arts of Vincent van Gogh. He lost a lung at 13 yrs old, and within the culture of the time, smoked cigarettes all his life, however, he managed to live to 63yrs even with his lung affliction. He had 9 healthy children, and many were very artistic, in visual arts: acting, poetry, pottery, and sculpture. (only 2 of his beautiful and uniquely artistic knowledgeble daughters, Leny, and Nelly survive today).
Included on these pages are a number of Nardus van de Ven's paintings and newsclippings regarding his life and exhibitions. These are real living paintings taken by cameras/mobile phones available at the time of exposure (often not to todays standard). Please enjoy. Also, please be aware the artists impressions depicted here on this site may often be construed as 'perhaps having a political leaning', and at that time in space however, remember the interpretation of any visual, or written art, is always evaluated by 'the excellent personal eye of the learned beholder - You'. I accept 'visual art' is now a thing of the past with all the new 'AI' and other applications which, in my opinion destroys the core heart of real ART. The 'ART'
"the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power", that will survive through all the ages, which was created by the gifted artistic and muse inspired minds, inherited through generations to inspire. Gifted to us, by 'Them'.
For any purchase enquiries: please email: aartsartforsale@gmail.com
This acrylic painting, "Faces in the Crowd" (2010) by Leon Aarts (b.
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This acrylic painting, "Orpheus" (2009) by Leon Aarts
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This acrylic painting, "Man Playing Mandolin" (2010) by Leon Aarts (b.1961, Christchurch, New Zealand), is a blues-drenched, Orphic nocturne—a single figure fused with his instrument in a swirling cobalt vortex, as if Orpheus had traded his lyre for a battered mandolin and descended into Delta blues Hades.
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This oil painting, "Man" (1982) by Leon Aarts (b.
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"Lust for Life" (2009) by Leon Aarts (b.
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This pastels on wooden board, "Living Stream" (2018) by Leon Aarts (b. 1961, Christchurch, New Zealand), is a radiant ode to the life force of nature—a serene riverbank scene that pulses with quiet vitality.
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The Carrier: The figure cradles a dark, rounded form—Eurydice's head, the self, or the unborn. This is Orpheus succeeding—and failing—at once.
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This large-scale acrylic painting, "Kiwi" (2016) by Leon Aarts (b. 1961, Christchurch, New Zealand), is a fiery, primordial forest—a mythic New Zealand bush re imagined as living entrails.
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This acrylic painting, "Cossack" (2010) by Leon Aarts (b. 1961, Christchurch, New Zealand), is a joyous, kinetic explosion—a Cossack dancer mid-leap frozen in Cubist-Expressionist ecstasy.
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Final Verdict: ★★★★½ (4.5/5) A quiet masterpiece of Aarts’ oeuvre—"Ábove and Below" achieves what few expressionists dare: philosophical rigor through formal restraint.
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Final Verdict: ★★★★☆ (4/5) A rusty, riveting manifesto on the thinking self, "Cogito Ergo Sum" captures Aarts at his most inventively tormented—oils as oil-slicked synapses, churning doubt into defiant presence.
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Final Verdict: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) A powerful, original work that successfully marries Cubist structure with Expressionist emotion.
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Title: The Elephant in the Room Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Dimensions: 750mm × 750mm Date: 18 October 2025 "The Elephant in the Room" confronts the tension between what is seen and what is suppressed.
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Series Title: Whatdoesitmean paintings The Whatdoesitmean series is a visual meditation on the search for meaning within the chaos of contemporary life.
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Hunger Winter Artist Nardus van de Ven Nardus van de Ven often created works featuring landscapes and scenes from workers. The subject he depicted in this piece from the exhibition "Signs of Freedom" is the Hunger Winter. The Hunger Winter occurred during the Second World War, in the winter of 1944-1945. Food was scarce and fuel was in short supply, causing many people to starve. Nardus van de Ven's work depicts several people working in the fields. They are carrying beams, and a cart stands before them. The gray tones of the work evoke the darker side of the final months of World War II. Given the date of the work, he actually created it during this Hunger Winter. Specifications Object name painting Material oil painting, panel Year 1944 Dimensions height 72.5cm x width 52.5cm x depth 4cm Collection Collection of Maarten and Reina van Bommel van Dam Object number 00335 Acquisition donation Art movement naive art, realism
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Artist Statement - Leonardus Aarts What is Art?Brett Whiteley Art is the thrilling spark that beats death - thats all.
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Designing Catapults, aimed at enemies? The lightening bonds of of heroes-wearing thin.
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So, this is the life of past generations? Hello long lost relative Do you, still require the sins of this deceptive age of Imagery, Not reality? Yes.
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Le Sacre Coeur took my Heart I felt Chris's Eyes Pierce a hole in my side I walked for centuries down a stone altar Passing St Peter Building a Symbol on rocks I stopped.To kneel, not from faitigue.
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No Time for this No Time for that No Time! No fun, no Games No mucking around No! This has to be done.
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Collection items by Nardus Van de Ven at Museum van Bommel van Dam, The doors of the Museum van Bommel van Dam in the heart of Venlo are wide open.
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SANDERSON CONTEMPORARY ART NEWMARKET: Osborne Lane, 2 Kent St, Auckland, NZ, +64 9 520 0501 HERNE BAY: 122 Jervois Rd, Auckland, NZ, +64 9 378 9298 Past time is future time - By Alan Pearson 08/04/14 to 27/04/14 Neo-Expressionist Alan Pearson has become one of the defining figures of New Zealand art history.
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