Henk Tas

Hendrik Everhart (Henk) Tas (born 23 July 1948) is a Dutch visual artist, working as a sculptor, photographer, graphic artist, and wall painter.

Biography Tas was born in 1948 in Rotterdam, and grew up part of his youth in Canada. In Rotterdam he studied from 1966 to 1972 at the Academy of Visual Arts in Rotterdam in the direction free drawing and painting.

After graduating, Tas settled in Rotterdam as a visual artist. He starting with graphics and then focused on staged photography. His work is inspired by rock music and pop music. He used to stage his images with hats, toys, instruments, lights and plastic figures, which result in what he called "toverfotografie" (magic photography). He also made screen prints and large format mosaics inspired by lyrics. Together wit similar work as the magazines of Hard Werken, the work of poet Jules Deelder, the published 010, Tas made a significant contribution to the cultural renewal in the city in those days.

In 1991, Tas was awarded the Hugo Erfurth Prize by Agfa. Tas's works are included in the collections of the Hugo Erfurth prize in Rotterdam, the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, the Groninger Museum, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In the following years he exhibited screen prints at 't Venster in Rotterdam in 1973, and at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in 1975.

In 1976 he collaborated with the third Science Fiction festival in Rotterdam. He decorated spaces in the Lantaren and Erasmus University together with Bob van Persie, Hans Citroen and Willem van Drunen. The following year in 1977 he exhibits textile photography at Galerie Gee in Geervliet.

Exhibitions, a selection 1971. Grafiek van Emile Puettmann, Hanny Huser en Henk Tas. Galerie Noordeinde 31, Spijkenisse. 1975. Henk Tas and Hans van Dijk, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam 1990. Rotterdam Assorti, Hal Building, Rotterdam Galerie Baudelaire, Antwerpen Exponera Fotogalleri, Malmö Govinda Gallery, Washington D.C.

Publications, a selection Henk Tas, Rick Vermeulen, Els Barents. Why Me Lord. 2001. Diana Wind. Museumkrant: Henk Tas, 2001.