Real beauty can be found all around us, according to Henk Helmantel. Even in the objects of everyday life: a round, shiny plum or the deep red of an apple. Beauty can be seen in an old wooden table that has seen years of use, or in the faded green of an old glass bottle. Helmantel’s work is a quiet contemplation on the serenity of creation. With his artworks, Helmantel invites the viewer to re-examine one’s surroundings in search of this everyday beauty.

 

Helmantel’s paintings are all about finding and combining the right objects. Even the plainest will do: a round piece of bread, a bottle in a vivid green shade or an ancient metal pitcher. These paraphernalia are arranged with the utmost care on a table by the window. The most important factor now to be decided upon is the composition of the objects. A balanced composition consists of (at least) one horizontal, one vertical and, one diagonal line. These lines together must form a balanced whole. The artist places and replaces objects until he is satisfied with the arrangement. Only then is he ready to start working on the actual paintings. He starts with a drawing directly on the panel, after which he picks up his brush. With each thin layer of oil paint, the image gains clarity, detail and depth of colour. The objects gain solidity and substance. The final phase is for crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s: the amount of light is adjusted, the last details are filled in.

 

A large collection of paintings by Henk Helmantel is for sale at Collection Harms. In addition, Helmantel’s oeuvre has been shown in several leading museums, amongst which the Drents Museum and the Groninger Museum. His works can be found all over the globe: they have can be found in  Germany, Switzerland, Taiwan and the U.S., amongst many other countries.

 

2018 will be an exciting year for connoisseurs of Helmantel’s oeuvre. His works will be exhibited at three important museums, both in the Netherlands and abroad:​