Collection: Philippe de Kraan

International contemporary artist and his quest for passion, “to master the meaning of expression”

Born and raised in Amsterdam, Holland and currently living in Australia, Philippe de Kraan has had a remarkable and critically acclaimed career for a few decades.

Inspired by the indomitable spirits of Van Gogh and Rembrandt to create art and express their passions against all odds, de Kraan strives to create timeless stories from a blank canvas that people can relate to and love. de Kraan's innovative style combines a fresh, novel form of impressionism and expressionism. He creates lush, vibrant, and textured portraiture and landscapes. His visually rich works exhibit a luminosity and a whimsical sense of fantasy. His unusually shaped figures interact harmoniously with his color palette which ranges from bold, striking colors to serene pastel hues.

Several years ago, de Kraan, with a touch of Van Gogh's influence, named his art "The Masquerade Collection". He aimed to capture the public's imagination with his colorful human narratives that delve into the unconscious creating powerful and memorable stories.

"To have mastered the meaning of expressionism is what I'd like my legacy to be", says de Kraan. While living in Europe, he paid fees to people from all walks of life, including beggars, to allow him to reveal their inner secrets and stories in his popular and meticulously crafted brush and ink character studies. According to de Kraan, "When you paint a person you have to make them live. You have to touch the soul".

de Kraan has had 49 solo art shows throughout Europe to Australia.

de Kraans's paintings have been compared to the post-impressionist George Seurat's pointillism style. Recently, he was compared to the iconic expressionist painter, Paul Klee. Critics have said," de Kraan's artworks will stand the test of time, in their own right".

Recently voted 7th most influential artist globally by LABA (Los Angeles International Arts Festival) in 2022