Gallery Sofie Van de Velde: Solo show Kees Goudzwaard & Group show Words are very Unnecessary

Kees Goudzwaard (b. 1958 in Utrecht, NL) currently resides in Antwerp (BE) and works in Reusel (NL). At first glance, Goudzwaard's artworks appear to be minimalist color studies composed of rectangular pieces of paper and tape. However, upon closer examination, these works reveal themselves as meticulously crafted trompe-l’oeil paintings. He begins by constructing a model, arranging sheets of paper, transparent acetates, and tape on a colored surface. He often spends a considerable amount of time refining the composition before creating the painted illusion at full scale. Goudzwaard seamlessly merges artistic traditions spanning three centuries, combining the playful precision of 17th-century Dutch still-life painting with the abstract art movements of pre- and post-war Europe and America (Ben Luke, 2009)...

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Caption: Kees Goudzwaard, Documented, 2025, Oil on canvas, 100 x 75 cm

Kees Goudzwaard, Collage, 1992, Oil and ink on canvas, 150 x 200 cm
 

Gallery Sofie Van de Velde is also proud to present Words are very Unnecessary, a group exhibition that brings together artists whose practices navigate the space between presence and absence. With reduced forms, quiet materials, and restrained gestures, these works challenge the need for explanation or excess.