Peter Elias - The Power of Abstraction

Since he started drawing and painting at Cultuurhuis Wherelant in Purmerend in 2005, Elias has developed his own visual language - a language in which intuition determines the direction and form and colour interact. This exhibition of eighteen paintings is an ode to the expressive power of abstract art.

His fascination for abstraction arose early on, during school visits to the Stedelijk Museum.
There he became captivated by the freedom of abstract art - a freedom he later went on to explore himself with acrylic paint, under the guidance of Jimmy Mendizabal, Kees Kasbergen and Patricia Schor, among others. In France, with Beauregard, he delved further into the groundbreaking interplay of expression and composition.

Elias does not paint what he sees, but what he feels. His work emerges intuitively, layer upon layer, until colour, shape and texture find a dynamic balance. Sometimes the canvas seems to lead him, rather than the other way around. This surrender gives his paintings their energy and depth: they effervesce, move, breathe.

However, his art goes beyond personal pleasure. Elias sees it as his mission to bring the beauty of abstraction closer to the public. At a time when immediate clarity is often demanded, his work actually invites attention, interpretation and reflection. Those who take the time to really look will discover a world full of colour, energy and meaning.

Since 2012, Elias has participated in the Kunstroute Purmerend and regularly exhibits in the region. He is active within Kunstcollectief Purmerend and currently works in the abstract studio group of association Perspectief in Castricum.