A preeminent Portland painter, Henk Pander is well known for his unorthodox subject matter and large-scale landscapes. Growing up in Amsterdam, his received his technical training in Holland where he was influenced by the historical aspects of European painting. With this background, he combines current events as his subject matter with poignant interiors, portraits and still life to create compelling and contemporary narratives. A consummate draftsman, he uses plein air and studio still life as the basis for his physical and commanding work. This exhibition presents a diverse selection of large-scale oil paintings with depictions of a variety of subject matter ranging from desolate landscapes to elaborately staged still lifes that contrast dramatic beauty with devastation and death.
Henk Pander studied at the Rijksacademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam before moving to Portland in the 1960s. In addition to painting throughout his career, he worked extensively in theatre set design beginning with the Storefront Theatre in the 1970s-80s and numerous projects for the Portland Center for Performing Arts, OR. His work is well collected privately in the Northwest and is represented in many public collections including; City of Amsterdam, Netherlands; Oregon Historical Society, Portland; Portland Art Museum, OR; Seattle Convention Center, WA; and University of Oregon Museum of Art, Eugene. He has an extensive exhibition history both nationally and abroad. In 2011, the Hallie Ford Museum of Art in Salem, OR will present a major retrospective exhibition of his work.