Frits van Holten

My background originally lies in the creative business world, where I worked for many years at the crossroads of concept development, visual communication and entrepreneurship. Although I could express my creativity there, the love of art always kept humming along in the background.

At some point I decided to take that quiet call seriously. I chose to engage actively, as an art lover, with artistic events, exhibitions and creative initiatives. That involvement brought me closer to the artists, the studios, the energy of the making process – and ultimately to my own inner urge to start working as a visual artist.

Since then, I have become a visual artist myself.

Initially I mainly painted realistic fine-art landscapes, centred on light, atmosphere and true-to-nature detail. Gradually my style shifted: today I work semi-figuratively, with a free touch and a more playful approach to form.

My attention goes out to cheerful themes that, in colour and composition, evoke a sense of joie de vivre. I look for images that bring lightness, that invite you to look and to smile, and that celebrate the energy of life.

I find my inspiration in, among others, the Fauvist Matisse and the Impressionists – artists who dared to let colour sing, who wanted to capture the moment, and who wanted not only to show the world, but also to make it felt.