Paul Beumer

Paul Beumer’s painterly practice oscillates freely between figuration and abstraction, but in the past few years gained a specific focus on the use of natural materials like indigo and barkcloth. Steering away from the conventions of the brush and canvas his works are made on a variation of loose textiles. He engages ink or chlorine and manual resist-dyeing techniques to produce abstract patterns that feel like faint memories of Western High Modernism.
Paul Beumer (1982) received his BFA from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague after which he completed a two-year residency at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam. For the past four years he has been working and living in China, Japan and Taiwan. Recent solo exhibitions include ‘New Seeds’ at 16/16 in Lagos, Nigeria, ’He wanted kisses, but all he got was analytical anecdotes and philosophic epigrams’ at Venue in Taipei, Taiwan, ‘The message of the flower is the flower’ at Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague, Netherlands, ‘Paint Wide Mouth White’ at Qingyun International Art Centre in Beijing, China, ‘In the shade of the elms and willows, my friends drink until they are inspired’ at Goethe Pavillon, Palais Schardt in Weimar, Germany. He participated in major group exhibitions at Fries Museum in Leeuwarden, Museum Het Valkhof in Nijmegen, Museum Kranenburgh in Bergen, Museum De Paviljoens in Almere and the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, The Netherlands.
Work by Beumer is held in private and public collections, including the AKZO Nobel Art Foundation, Amsterdam; The Academic Medical Centre Art Collection, Amsterdam; the Collection of the District Court of Law, Amsterdam; the Rattan Chadha Collection, Voorschoten, Netherlands.
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Selected Works
- Paul Beumer, The horizon, 2020, bleached and stitched barkcloth in artist's frame, 55 x 52 cm, Collection of AkzoNobel Art Foundation.
Paul Beumer, The horizon, 2020, bleached and stitched barkcloth in artist's frame, 55 x 52 cm, Collection of AkzoNobel Art Foundation.
- Paul Beumer, A Child, young of animals and plants, 2020, bleached and stitched barkcloth in artist's frame, 55 x 52 cm, Collection of AkzoNobel Art Foundation.
Paul Beumer, A Child, young of animals and plants, 2020, bleached and stitched barkcloth in artist's frame, 55 x 52 cm, Collection of AkzoNobel Art Foundation.
- Paul Beumer, The water bearer, 2019, woven cotton and batik paint, 46 × 43 cm, private collection Madrid.
Paul Beumer, The water bearer, 2019, woven cotton and batik paint, 46 × 43 cm, private collection Madrid.
- Paul Beumer, The chained maiden, 2019, woven cotton and batik paint, 42 × 44 cm, private collection Madrid.
Paul Beumer, The chained maiden, 2019, woven cotton and batik paint, 42 × 44 cm, private collection Madrid.
- Paul Beumer, The flying fish, 2019, woven cotton and batik paint, 85 × 85 cm, private collection.
Paul Beumer, The flying fish, 2019, woven cotton and batik paint, 85 × 85 cm
- Paul Beumer, Akhir al-Nahr, 2019, indigo dyed and bleached cotton, 89 × 70 cm
Paul Beumer, Akhir al-Nahr, 2019, indigo dyed and bleached cotton, 89 × 70 cm
- Paul Beumer, An-Nisr ul-Waqi, 2019, indigo dyed and bleached cotton, 89 × 72 cm
Paul Beumer, An-Nisr ul-Waqi, 2019, indigo dyed and bleached cotton, 89 × 72 cm
- Paul Beumer, Crying frogs, 2017, indian ink on denim, 93 × 96 cm, private collection.
- Paul Beumer, Seeds of the forgetting-grass, 2017, mixed media on cotton, 93 × 81 cm, private collection.
- Paul Beumer, installation view, ARCO Madrid 2019
Paul Beumer, installation view, ARCOmadrid 2019
- Paul Beumer, installation view, ARCO Madrid 2019
Paul Beumer, installation view, ARCO Madrid 2019
- Paul Beumer, installation view, ARCO Madrid 2019
Paul Beumer, installation view, ARCO Madrid 2019
- Paul Beumer, Untitled, 2016, 200 x 150 cm
Paul Beumer, Untitled, 2016, 200 x 150 cm
- Paul Beumer, A son’s wish, 2016, indian ink on cotton, 95 × 75 cm, private collection.
- Paul Beumer, The message of the flower is the flower. Exhibition view at Dürst Britt & Mayhew, 2017
- Paul Beumer, Becoming a breeze, 2017, mixed media on various textiles, 190 × 250 cm, private collection Portugal.
Paul Beumer, The message of the flower is the flower. Exhibition view at Dürst Britt & Mayhew, 2017
- Paul Beumer, A gift of seaweed, 2017, mixed media on various textiles, 185 × 325 cm, private collection Portugal.
- Paul Beumer, The message of the flower is the flower. Exhibition view at Dürst Britt & Mayhew, 2017
Paul Beumer, The message of the flower is the flower. Exhibition view at Dürst Britt & Mayhew, 2017
- Paul Beumer, Untitled, 2016, ink on cotton, 161 x 155 cm.
Paul Beumer, Untitled, 2016, ink on cotton, 161 x 155 cm.
- Installation view, 'I won't have the luxury of seeing scenes like this much longer', Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague, 2015.
Installation view, 'I won't have the luxury of seeing scenes like this much longer', Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague, 2015.
- Installation view, 'I won't have the luxury of seeing scenes like this much longer', Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague, 2015.
Installation view, 'I won't have the luxury of seeing scenes like this much longer', Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague, 2015.
- Paul Beumer, Untitled, 2015, ink and watercolour on paper, 70 x 50 cm, private collection.
Paul Beumer, Untitled, 2015, ink and watercolour on paper, 70 x 50 cm.
- Paul Beumer, Untitled, 2015, ink and watercolour on paper, 70 x 50 cm.
Paul Beumer, Untitled, 2015, ink and watercolour on paper, 70 x 50 cm.
- Paul Beumer, Untitled, 2015, ink and watercolour on paper, 100 x 70 cm.
Paul Beumer, Untitled, 2015, ink and watercolour on paper, 100 x 70 cm.