Diederick Kraaijeveld obtained his PHD in the History of Art at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands. He became a professional newspaper journalist in the early nineties after studying creative writing at the University of Texas. Kraaijeveld’s passion for investigating lead him to become an award winning investigative reporter for the leading Dutch TV-channel RTL4. He worked in the field for over 10 years until he decided to pursue his artistic career, full time.
Kraaijeveld has always had a passion for collecting found objects and assembling his findings into collages. He aims to create desirable objects out of materials that have been carelessly discarded. Kraaijeveld uses a technique he has coined as ‘Oudhout’ (Literally, ‘Old Wood’) and assembles his icons out of ‘old wood’ that he finds during his travels and day trips in Holland and abroad. Kraaijeveld has roamed the countryside’s of Holland, the beaches of Brazil and even California’s city dumps in search of new material. Every work of art is created from genuine, coloured vintage wood; paint is never used in order to preserve the integrity of each artefact’s unique history.
Kraaijeveld’s search for ‘Old Wood’ is as much a part of his process of creation as is the actual assemblage of the found materials. He is inclined to look for painted wooden planks and floorings in old mansions within the inner city of Holland as well as in old farmhouses in Holland’s more rural areas. Kraaijeveld also has an eye for old wood flooring acquired from 16th and 17th Century buildings. During Kraaijeveld’s travels to the coasts of Kenya, Brazil, Malaysia and Southern France, he collected pieces of fishing boats. Kraaijeveld recently used part of a fishing boat found on the Mombassa coast in his recent portrait of President Obama, paying tribute to Obama’s heritage and allowing the history of the wood to become as important as the subject matter.
Diedericks art has found its way to private and corporate collections worldwide and his work has been featured in galleries in Amsterdam, Basel, California, Dubai, London, Moscow and New York.
