Cornelis Johannes Rijken

[8 September 1951, Waalwijk, NL]

 Hoge School West- Brabant, sector Kunst-en Vormgeving
 Akademie St. Joost, Breda. Monumentale Vormgeving en Schilderkunst. Afgestudeerd 1987.

Cornelis expressed a talent for art, drawing in particular, since he was young. Art Academy was a later choice, when he decided to invest all his energy and creativity in art as a profession. Nevertheless his previous technical studies and a decade experience in a manufacturing company, consolidated his attention to materials, organisation and planning. An original imagination and the project are always combined together, in order to achieve the main goal.
Each work of Cornelis is the result of an essential synthesis. The sculpture itself suggests and lets discover meanings behind the shape.

Simple is the most difficult

The places in which he has lived, inspired him the use of different materials: steel in the Netherlands, granite and bronze in India, Carrara marble in Italy.
India is also the country of a ten-year involvement with several NGOs to develop social projects, including the Tsunami relief. Since 2007 Cornelis has found his place in Italy (Porcaticcio di Sopra), where he is creating and producing his art.
His work includes also industrial, architectural and furniture design.