HER STORY

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Debbie Nijland grew up as the youngest child in a large, lively working-class family along the canal in what was then the working-class Kinkerbuurt neighborhood of Amsterdam. In 1974, her family left the capital for the rural landscapes of West Brabant. Although her creative talent was evident from an early age, a formal art education remained absent for a long time. It wasn’t until the 1990s that she seriously took up painting, studying under various artists. In 2008, she embarked on a five-year Higher Degree Painting program at the IKO Academy of Fine Arts in Hoogstraten, Belgium, a journey she successfully completed in 2013—a well-deserved gift to herself.

Since 2016, Debbie has been happily married to Peter den Haan. Together, they take great pride in her two grown children and cherish their beautiful granddaughter and grandson.

A Distinctive Artistic Language
In Debbie’s work, paint takes center stage—more so than the subject itself. Her paintings are monumental, expressionist, and bold in form. Since 2008, she has worked in thematic series, immersing herself deeply in each subject. Her style is characterized by dramatic lighting and high-contrast compositions, without falling into romanticism. By partially or entirely painting over underlying clichés, she reveals the raw, unfiltered side of life.

Debbie’s paintings exude a flamboyant presence, not only due to their size but also because of their rich color palette, dynamic brushwork, and expressive themes. Her approach is primarily pictorial, sometimes with a more linear quality, but always with a direct, uncompromising technique. She does not strive for a "beautiful picture"—the work is what it is.

Art, in her view, should provoke, challenge, and raise questions. Humor and confrontation go hand in hand. "I have no patience for all these overly sensitive artistic souls. If a painting doesn't work, you have to face it. A trusted colleague with a keen eye should be able to tell you the truth. If it’s nothing, then it’s nothing. No sentimental nonsense—just paint over it and start again."

Inspiration & Influences
Her work is deeply influenced by great masters such as Francisco Goya, James Ensor, Peter Paul Rubens, Pablo Picasso, Johannes Grützke, Per Kirkeby, Tor Arne Moen, Christian Hook, and Neo Rauch. Their theatrical, dramatic, grotesque, and sometimes unsettling visual language, combined with their technical mastery, serves as a major source of inspiration for Debbie’s own artistic signature.

Education & Training
📍 2008-2013 – IKO Academy of Fine Arts (Hoogstraten, Belgium) – Higher Degree in Painting
📍 2005-2007 – Cultural Studies, Open University
📍 2003-2009 – Life Drawing
📍 1998-2010 – Painting with various artists in Chartreuse, La Valotte, and Lormes (France)
📍 1994-1997 – Various communication training programs, Stichting Communicatie (Breda)
📍 1993-2009 – Drawing & Painting classes, Cultural Center Doornbos (Etten-Leur)