Keimpe van der Kooi (Amersfoort, 1966) is a Dutch painter who has lived and worked in Groningen for over 25 years. Originally from Drachten, Friesland, he settled in Groningen as a student, where he—like so many others—remained and became a fixture in the northern art scene.
After completing a degree in philosophy, an old passion resurfaced: visual arts. In Groningen, Van der Kooi began various painting courses, where he carefully redeveloped his technique and visual language. These experiences paved the way for professional training. In 2005, he was admitted to the Classical Academy of Painting in Groningen, where he has since successfully graduated.
During his training, Keimpe van der Kooi was mentored by a broad and influential group of teachers, including Eric Bos, Riny Bus, Xandra Donders, Joost Doornik, Ralph Douglas, Peter Durieux, Flip Gaasendam, Miranda van Gelderen, Tom Hageman, Chris Herenius, Herman van Hoogdalem, Henk Helmantel, Doriene Kuipers, Jan van Loon, Rein Pol, Ben Rikken, Matthijs Röling, Piet Sebens, Gerrie Wachtmeester, and Juane Xue. This rich learning environment has contributed to his versatile and solid artistic foundation.
Van der Kooi is not guided by a single fixed subject. Central to his work is capturing light and depicting color as meaningfully as possible. His paintings are created both outdoors, en plein air, in landscapes, and indoors, under artificial light, in still lifes. In all these diverse situations, he searches for the same thing: a convincing, sensory translation of what he sees, in which light, color, and perception converge in a balanced painterly composition.
