| Birth Date: | 26 August 1991 |
| Birth Place: | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Father: | Theo van Gogh |
| Mother: | Heleen Hartmans |
Lieuwe van Gogh (born 26 August 1991) is a Dutch painter. He had his first solo exposition in June 2022,[1] opened by cultural historian and State Secretary of Culture and Media Gunay Uslu.[2] [3]
Lieuwe van Gogh was born in Amsterdam to film director Theodoor “Theo” van Gogh and Heleen Hartmans. Van Gogh’s great-great-grandfather, Theo van Gogh, was an art dealer and the brother of painter Vincent van Gogh.
In school, van Gogh preferred drawing to playing soccer, and particularly enjoyed drawing dragons.[4]
Van Gogh was in class a mere few hundred meters from his father on the day he was murdered—he was able to hear the gunshots.[5] The day after his father's murder, he painted a graffiti mural at his mother's home, which was largely removed after they moved out.[6]
Van Gogh obtained his Havo diploma and studied arts for two years. After this, he became a Thaiboxer in South-East Asia. He also worked 10 years as a chef.
In 2014, van Gogh donated some of his living cells to artist Diemut Strebe for creating a "living artwork", a replica of Vincent van Gogh's severed ear.[7] [8]
During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, he developed his own painting style. Successful sales during his first solo exposition made him realize that his work had value.
The Bed-Stuy Art Residency invited Van Gogh to paint in New York in the summer of 2022 and exhibit his work.
He now uses the mayonnaise bottles he used as a chef, to spray paint on horizontal canvasses. This allows him to work fast, without watching paint dry. Lieuwe uses forks to create unusual eyelashes.[9] Art historian Jhim Lamoree describes Lieuwe's work as "vitalistic".