Toon Berghahn

TOON BERGHAHN 
Born in1970 in Amsterdam.

EDUCATION
1993 – 1996 AKI Enschede
1990 – 1992 Rietveld Akademie

EXHIBITIONS

2024
WAOU 2024, Galleri NB, Viborg, Denmark
Pan Amsterdam, Galerie Wilms
Big Art, Het Slotervaart
A Joy Forever, Luyks Gallery
Art Amsterdam/Kunstrai, Luycks Gallery
Ruimtelijke perspectieven, Luycks Gallery, met Nico de Wit
2023
WAOU 2023, Galleri NB, Viborg Denmark
Luminous Traces, Galleri NB, Viborg Denmark
2022
Twilight Spaces, Galleri NB Viborg, Denmark
2019
Vantage Point, galleri NB, Denmark
2018
This Art Fair, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam
Shelter, Galerie Luycks Tilburg, solo
Art The Hague
KunstRai 2018
2017
Kunstrai 2017, Galleri NB stand nr. 8
ForReal, Passenger Terminal Amsterdam, galerie Luycks
Appèl, Kazerne Eindhoven, galerie Luycks
Laterna Magica, NB Gallery DK, solo
2016
Kunst en Leven, Het Keukengemaal, Bronkhorst
In The Act, Kunstgemaal, met Izaak Zwartjes
This Art Fair 2016
Material Matters, Concordia Enschede met Hidde van Schie, Jorn van Leeuwe, Rob Bouwman e.a.
Kunstrai 2016, Galerie Luycks stand nr. 42
VII Ways to get Out, KuuB Utrecht, met Rob Voerman, Lenneke van der Goot, Arno Kramer e.a.
Miscellanea, Galerie Lutz, Delft met Philipe Akkerman, Margreet Bouwman e.a.
Familiekamer Kunstprijs, de Familiekamer Leiden met Dieuwke Spaans en Robert Pauwels
2015
This Art Fair, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam
Emergent, Luycks Gallery Tilburg, solo
A Joy For Ever, Luycks Gallery, Tilburg
Dazzling, NB Gallery Viborg, solo
2014
KunstRai 2014, Galerie Clement
Malen, Martin Fenne, Ge Karel vd Sterren, Toon Berghahn
Kunstgemaal Bronkhorst, curator Maarten Bertheux
Intervision, Galerie Clement
2013
SPACE/BODY, Galerie Clement, Amsterdam
Tekeningen tentoonstelling, Galerie Clement, Amsterdam met Aam Solleveld, Arno Kramer e.a.
We Like Art, Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam
KunstRai, Galerie Lutz, Standnummer 22
Laag 92 van het Overschilderschilderij, De Aanschouw, Rotterdam
Re:Rotterdam, Toon Berghahn-Maurice Braspenning
MODERN DAYS, Galleri NB, Copenhagen
NordArt 2013, Büdelsdorf
XV Vilnius Painting Triennal, Painting Contexts, Vilnius
2012
Reflections, NBeX, Viborg
Art Copenhagen 2012, Galleri NB, standnr. 102
"How Art Things", NEST, Den Haag
KUNSTRAI 2012, Toon Berghahn en Paul Nassenstein, Galerie Clement, Amsterdam
Viborg International Billboard Painting Festival met Marjolijn de Wit, Hugo Tieleman e.a.
OP DE HUID, Paul Nassenstein, Maurice Braspenning, Ge Karel van de Sterren en Toon Berghahn, Villa de Bank, Enschede
2011
Personal Papers, Galerie Clement, Amsterdam
Galerie 48 Breda, solo
Constructing Identity, Vishal Haarlem
2010
Living for Art Together, Het Oude Raadhuis, Hoofdorp
Verfzucht #6 Ruimtelijk, Toon Berghahn, Gijs van Noort en Henk van den Bosch, Boven's Galerie, Amsterdam
Toon Berghahn en Albert Zwaan, Galerie 48/SBK, Breda
These Days, Galerie Lutz, Delft, solo
2009
Hedendaags, Galerie Posthuys, Texel
Change,The Artscomplex, Edinburgh, UK, groepstentoonstelling
Publieke werken, Cacao Fabriek, Helmond
2008
Lost in this World, solotentoonstelling, Petit Port, Leiden
Alex Jacobs en Toon Berghahn, Galerie 10, Utrecht
2007
Silent Hill, Solopresentatie Galerie de Meerse, hoofddorp
Rich Emptiness, Solotentoonstelling Galerie 48, Breda
Nieuwe Uitleenschatten, CBK Groningen, Der Aa-Kerk, Het Filiaal, Groningen
Bezembiner's Geïllustreerde Zoete broodjes, Amsterdam
2006
Cream, Galerie LUMC, met Maurice Braspenning
Blessed Twilight, Villa de Bank, Enschede, solo
2005
Galerie Aschenbach en Hofland Amsterdam
Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije schilderkunst, GEM Museum voor Actuele Kunst te Den Haag
Nieuw Nederlands Perspectief, Reinier Lagendijk en Toon Berghahn, Galerie Haagweg 4 Leiden, www.4rt.nl
2004
Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije schilderkunst, Koninklijk Paleis, Amsterdam
Zomertentoonstelling, Galerie Hof en Huyser, Amsterdam, groepstentoonstelling
Recente schilderijen, Wennekes modern art gallery
2003
Project Reinwardt, groepstentoonstelling geïniteerd door woningbedrijf Amsterdam
2002
Advance, Galerie Loerakker Amsterdam, groepstentoonstelling
Rijksmuseum Twenthe, AKI Ontplooid, Enschede
Wishful Reconstructions, De Nederlandsche Cacaofabriek, Helmond
2001
De visite is er!, Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam
Galerie Vertrek en Verblijf,Lamarque, Amsterdam
Mastodont, Outline, Amsterdam, groepstentoonstelling
2000
Wintersalon, Galerie Peninsula, , Eindhoven
Nieuwe aanwinsten, Artoteek, Schiedam
Galerie Vertrek en Verblijf, Amsterdam.
1999
Uitgelicht 3, KunstRAI, Amsterdam
Uitgelicht 3, Kunstvlaai, Amsterdam
Zomersalon, Galerie Hellinga, Beetsterzwaag
Tough Mothers, Hotel Winston, , Amsterdam
The Bored and the Tempted, Outline, Amsterdam
1998
Internationale prijs voor de schilderkunst, Galerie Jules Boudry Poperinge (B)

WORKSHOP
2012: Viborg International Billboard Painting Workshop

Commissions:
2005: Kalender Vereniging van Nederlandse Banken
1996: Sint Elisabeth Gasthuis, Deventer, mural

AWARDS
2016

Nominatie Familiekamer Kunstprijs, met Dieuwke Spaans en Robert Pauwels
2005
nominatie Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst, GEM Museum voor Actuele Kunst te Den Haag
2004
nominatie Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst, Paleis op de Dam
1998
Beneluxprijs voor de Schilderkunst

COLLECTIONS: 
DELA Kunstcollectie
HEDEN Den Haag
AFM
Ministerie Binnenlandse Zaken
Hanseaten Select
Team Vier BV
Herning Gymnasium, DK
Ymere, Haarlem
CBK Groningen
Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum (LUMC)
Arcadis, Arnhem
ARTBANK, Den HAAG
Artoteek Schiedam

ARTICLES 

2024
11 Emerging artists at Art Vilnius 2024
2016
"In the Act" Anne Berk
Pandora. Kunsttijdschrift
2014
"Malen" Maarten Bertheux
2013
Eigenhuis en Interieur, Esther Darley
2012
NRC "How Art Things", recensie, Nest
2011
" Constructing Identity", Haarlemsch Dagblad, recensie
2009
De Collectie, Arcadis
2006
Twentsche Courant, Schilder van de avondschemering, door Herman Haverkate
2004
Leeuwarder Courant, Mooier dan in het echt, recencie
Dagblad van het Noorden, Ijzige landschappen in Dokkum, recensie
ART-NL tijdschrift voor moderne kunst en design, Maurice Braspenning rug aan rug met Toon Berghahn, door Etienne Boileau
2002
Rijksmuseum Twenthe, AKI ontplooid, catalogus
2001
Het Parool, Burenruzie in reizende galerie, recensie
2000
Vijf jaar galerie Hellinga, boek
Uitgelicht 3, catalogus
BK-informatie, afbeelding
1999
Internationale prijs voor de schilderkunst, Koninklijke kunstkring Hoppeland, catalogus

Art Statement:

Toon Berghahn: Illuminating the Familiar and the Unfamiliar

Toon Berghahn, a distinguished Dutch painter born in 1970, has etched his name in the world of art. A graduate of Aki Enschede and Rietveld Akademie, both renowned institutions focusing on fine arts and design, Berghahn held his inaugural exhibition in 1998, marking the beginning of a prolific artistic journey. Numerous articles have been dedicated to his work, solidifying his status as one of the most respected Dutch artists today. In 2019, he collaborated with NB Galleri at WAOU 2019, showcasing his innovative approach to the world of art.

Berghahn's paintings resonate with recognizability and familiarity, portraying spaces such as studios, museum halls, swimming pools, or sports arenas. Yet, simultaneously, they exude an alienating and disturbing quality. A house or modernist villa may find itself amidst a landscape, framed by a disorienting twilight sky, or nature might invade an indoor space through a window. Ethereal light, emanating from various sources, intensifies feelings of desolation or melancholy, while providing a sense of comfort. Human presence is merely suggested through subtle traces, often rooted in personal memories that Berghahn transforms into universal images, devoid of direct personal charge.

Berghahn's artistic evolution is evident in his shift from focusing on the interiors of houses in 2019, emphasizing lighting and the presence of humans without depicting them directly, to his current exploration of exteriors with a focus on nature as inspiration. The paintings of abandoned buildings create a dual experience – a sense of safety and homeliness on the inside, juxtaposed with an unfamiliar and dark atmosphere outside. The use of a darker palette for nature reflects the artist's concern about the uncertainty of nature in the face of climate change.

Berghahn's distinctive technique involves painting on MDF boards, enabling him to layer thin coats of paint while maintaining a smooth texture. Additionally, he employs carving on the MDF surface, creating shadows and depths within the painting's motifs. This unique approach allows him to convey a distinct feeling through his art.

The artist's exploration of modern spaces, spatial and bathed in light, adds another dimension to his portfolio. Despite the prevalence of empty space, human presence is palpable through fixtures and fittings. These vibrant and bright compositions, adorned with exuberant furniture like pianos, bookshelves, and sofas, create a subliminal sense of comfort. Ethereal light remains a prominent tool, illuminating the paintings and adding to their comforting allure. Whether it be through the warm glow of glass chandeliers or the radiant sunlight on a summer day, Berghahn's art invites viewers into a place that feels like a memory, simultaneously comforting and subtly evocative.