The Formative Years and Artistic Evolution

Born in Haarlem, Netherlands, Jaap Wagemaker began his artistic journey through a deep connection to materials. Due to a hip condition that caused him to walk with a limp, he spent much of his youth drawing while staying at home. He attended the School for Architecture, Decorative Arts and Crafts in Haarlem, where he studied under the sculptor Jan Bronner. This education provided him with a profound understanding of various materials, a foundation that would define his later career. Although he excelled in drawing, he sought to master painting, eventually becoming an autodidact after being denied a scholarship to the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam.

His early works were characterized by an expressionist style, showing the influence of Constant Permeke and later the poetic style of Herman Kruyder. During the 1940s, he refused to join the Kultuurkamer, which prevented him from purchasing materials or exhibiting during the war years. Following the war, he moved to Amsterdam and later to Paris, where his style evolved through the influence of Picasso and the works of Jean Dubuffet, Fautrier, Wols, Alberto Burri, and Antoni Tàpies.

The Mastery of Matter Painting

From 1960 onwards, Wagemaker’s work transitioned into a distinctive form of matter painting. He created abstract assemblages characterized by robust, relief-like compositions. These works were meticulously constructed using a variety of found and diverse materials, including:

These assemblages often utilized earth tones and were built into solid, cohesive structures. His compositions frequently evoked aerial views of villages or settlements in Africa or Asia. His travels to regions such as the Dogon in Africa, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, Russia, and Mexico provided significant inspiration, often reflected in the titles of his works. Wagemaker received recognition through exhibitions at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, and he was awarded a gold medal at the Biennale of Florence.