After half a lifetime wandering all over the world as diplomat, banker, and a missionary, Jaap Broersma (1965) came back to the Netherlands in 2009.

He started studying philosophy and took place behind the easel.

To refine his painting techniques he followed leassons at the Wackers Academy of figurative art in Amsterdam. Since then Jaap finds his subjects close to home with portraits of people as basis.

On the bike to his studio, he sometimes makes a detour along the canals of  Amsterdam for inspiration, or he looks out his window and paints the view. Looking at The Netherlands through the eyes of someone who has been away for a long period gives distance, but also connection.

The view is not necessarily uplifting, but that is also not necessary.

The images of the people who live there: authentic and sometimes surprisingly colorful.

In color and also in grayscale Jaap captures this life, with attention to the form. Such images often need no words.