Mattijs van den Bosch: Morocco Revisited in Amsterdam Studio
Mattijs van den Bosch (Rabat, 1964) opens his Amsterdam-Oost studio, discussing his early childhood in Morocco and its lasting influence on his painting. After a serious fall forced him to abandon oil for acrylic, his work became more direct and personal, focusing on stylized figuration of urban life and Moroccan scenes. He returned to Morocco in 2017 after a 25-year gap, now painting subjects like mosques, street corners in Casablanca, and daily life, having learned Moroccan Arabic. His upcoming solo is at Art Island, Forteiland IJmuiden, May 22–24, 2026, via Brinkman and Bergsma, and he commits to a group show at Kunstgarage Franx in Zoetermeer in 2027.
Key facts
- Mattijs van den Bosch was born in Rabat, Morocco in 1964.
- He lived in Morocco until age nine, then moved to Purmerend, Netherlands.
- He studied at art academies in Utrecht and Arnhem.
- He participated in the Rijksakademie program in 1991.
- A severe fall caused a concussion, forcing him to switch from oil to acrylic paint.
- He received the Koninklijke Subside voor de Schilderkunst in 1998.
- He returned to Morocco in 2017 after a 25-year absence, staying in Larache.
- His solo exhibition at Art Island, Forteiland IJmuiden, runs May 22–24, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Mattijs van den Bosch
- Georg Baselitz
- Max Beckmann
- Pablo Picasso
- Karel Appel
- Lucebert
- Wouter van Riessen
- Mark Manders
- Ko Aarts
- Aafke Bennema
- Jaap Kroneman
- Rosemin Hendriks
- Jaap Wieseman
- Marten Hendriks
- Aline Thomassen
- Alex de Vries
Institutions
- Rietveld Academie
- Medisch Geneeskundige Dienst in Utrecht
- kunstacademie in Arnhem
- Stedelijk Museum
- Ateliers Arnhem
- Rijksakademie
- Villa Montalvo
- Galerie Anna Oele
- Galerie de Praktijk
- Wetering Galerie
- Art Island
- Brinkman en Bergsma
- Kunstgarage Franx
- We Like Art
- De Bouwput
- Mister Motley
- LUMC
Locations
- Rabat
- Morocco
- Amsterdam-Oost
- Netherlands
- Purmerend
- Utrecht
- Arnhem
- Arnhem-Zuid
- Schipholplein
- Zuid-Spanje
- Larache
- Californië
- Saratoga
- Verenigde Staten
- Casablanca
- Forteiland IJmuiden
- Zoetermeer
- Amsterdam