Hermien Buytendijk

Hermien Buytendijk is a Dutch artist born in Groningen. She moved to Heerlen, in the south of Holland, when she was three years of age. By getting the time and space to dream stories and read many books, it was possible that a colorful imagination became Hermien's reality. The influence of the Catholic south have a long lasting influence on her drawings and later in her sculptures.

The images of processions through the streets of the Limburg hills and picturesque carnival with clownish loner figures were beautiful and a breeding ground for Hermien's fantasy. After her graduation, at seventeen, she spent a year abroad and there Hermien followed intensive drawing classes, including an art school. Hermien was encouraged to develop her own way of illustrating with the music of, for example. Berlioz. She discovered that the cartoon-like drawings not showed unilateralism but rather a strong personal side of Hermien. This gave a great sense of freedom, something she still sees as principle of life. In 1967 she studied psychology in Leiden. Hermien was primarily engaged in illustrating almanacs and drawing posters and cartoons, she started taking drawing lessons from Harry Koolen and followed etching-lessons at the Free Academy in The Hague. Although she graduated as a clinical psychologist in 1975. Around her forties she created many ceramic sculptures. Within a year Hermien had her first exhibition in Zeist (1990).

Hermien became a full-time artist and received many permanent galleries that represent her work at art fairs. The sculptures grew in size – she created garden statues but also wall objects and recently small porcelain sculptures. Hermien says that working with clay has enriched her life.