Alex ten Napel | Biography

BIOGRAPHY

12 12 1958 *
1985 1988 Royal Academy of Art in The Hague
2004 member of the Gkf photographers association, Du(tch)Pho(tographers)

Alex ten Napel lives and works in Amsterdam. He studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and is renowed for his Alzheimer and Waterportraits series. In 2001 he showed his Alzheimer's portraits on the walls of nursing home 'Wittenberg' in Amsterdam and at the same time photobook ’Je leven vergeten’ ( Your life forgotten ) was published. In 2002 he exhibited 44 portraits of children in the windows of primary school Elout in Amsterdam. Three years later he exhibited his waterportraits at the Epson Photo Festival, in the canals of the fortified town Naarden-Vesting, the Netherlands and at Paris Photo, Paris. The waterportraits were nominated for the Photographic Portrait Prize 2006, the National Portrait Gallery, London and the Prix Photographique BMW-Paris Photo 2006, Paris. Since 1996 his autonomous work has been in numerous group and solo exhibitions in galleries and festivals such as Pobeda Gallery in Moscow, Cook Fine Art in New York, Galeria Omar Alonso in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Foto Art Festiwal in Bielsko-Biala, Poland and Miami Photo 2008, and his portraits has been widely published in newspapers and magazines as the Volkskrant Magazine, Le Monde Magazine, ZOOM and Photo & Video. In 2009 his waterportraits were acquired by the Caldic Collection. In 2012 he exhibited his last portraits series ‘Twelve’ and started ‘Hens and Roosters’ in 2014.

exhibitions commissions books prizes nominations acquisitions

2022

zwolle museum fundatie zomer expo group

2019

zwolle museum fundatie zomer expo group

2017

utrecht fotogalerie utrecht 'waterportraits #1' group

zwolle museum fundatie zomer expo group

rotterdam contemporary artfair fotogalerie utrecht 'hens & roosters' solo

2016

hilversum museumhilversum 'ps camera' group
amersfoort 033fotostad fotofestival 'alzheimer portraits'. group
utrecht fotogalerie utrecht 'hens & roosters' solo
new york mossless publisher public/private/portrait 'alzheimer portraits' book
berlin galerie pfundt 'waterportraits' group
amsterdam kunstrai artfair fotogalerie utrecht 'hens & roosters' group
amsterdam realisme artfair fotogalerie utrecht 'hens & roosters' group

2015
santiago de chili 100 miradas al arte contemporaneo 'waterportraits' book
amsterdam christie's yipart charity photoauction 'hens & roosters' group
amsterdam kunstrai artfair fotogalerie utrecht 'hens & roosters' group
rotterdam rotterdam contemporary artfair eduard planting 'hens & roosters' group
amsterdam realisme artfair fotogalerie utrecht 'waterportraits' group
amsterdam realisme artfair eduard planting 'hens & roosters' group

2014
amsterdam SO 2014 honourable mention 'hens & roosters' prize
amsterdam SO 2014 honourable mention 'hens & roosters' book

2013
den bosch de verkadefabriek 'waterportraits' solo

2012
amsterdam amsterdams centrum voor fotografie 'preview/twelve' group
nijmegen umc st radboud 'twelve' solo
amsterdam eduard planting 'twelve' solo

2011
amsterdam amsterdams centrum voor fotografie 'marijke' group
cork crawford art gallery 'all my lovin' solo
brescia wave gallery water 'waterportraits' solo

2010
amsterdam pan amsterdam artfair eduard planting 'waterportrais' group
amsterdam 'linda. het boek' linda. 'commissioned portraits' book
kiev kievfotocom international festival of photography 'waterportraits #2' solo
trier fototage trier 'waterportraits' solo
utrecht artantique artfair eduard planting 'waterportraits' group
lodz fotofestiwal international festival of photography 'all my lovin'

'waterportaits #2' solo
toulouse fondation pour l'art contemporain 'portrait de familles' solo
amsterdam realisme artfair eduard planting 'waterportraits' group

2009
amsterdam 'andere ogen' volkskrant 'commissioned portraits' book
wassenaar caldic collection 'waterportraits' acquisition

2008
miami photo miami 'waterportraits#1' ton peek solo
amsterdam centrum beeldende kunst zuid-oost 'waterportraits #2' group
amsterdam de melkweg 'summer in the city' group
amsterdam primary school elout ‘me and my friend' solo

2007
puerto vallarta galeria omar alonso 'rojo' group
new york cook fine art 'waterportraits#1 and #2' solo
bielsko-biala foto art festival 'waterportraits#1' solo
zwolle 'dutch eyes' book
amsterdam foam 'verborgen schatten' group
amsterdam amsterdams centrum voor fotografie 'de mama’s en de pappa’s' group
aberystwyth aberystwyth centre 'photographic portrait prize 2006' group
moscow pobeda gallery 'waterportraits#1 and #2' solo
amsterdam centrum beeldende kunst zuid-oost 'gezichten van zuid-oost' solo
utrecht tonpeek 'waterportraits#1 and #2' solo
sunderland sunderland museum 'photographic portrait prize 2006' group

2006
london national portrait gallery 'photographic portrait prize 2006' group
london 'photographic portrait prize 2006' nomination
paris 'prix bmw-paris photo' nomination
paris paris photo ton peek 'waterportraits#1' solo
dayton 'photography now' one hundred portfolios dvd

2005
paris paris photo ton peek 'waterportraits#1' group
amsterdam primary school elout ‘me and my family‘ solo
amsterdam foam group
naarden-vesting epson fotofestival naarden ‘waterportraits‘ solo

2002
amsterdam amsterdams fonds voor de kunst ‘eerste jaars studenten‘ commission
the hague '50 ontmoetingen' gemeentehuis group
amsterdam 'last supper' panama group
rotterdam '50 ontmoetingen' las palmas group
amsterdam '50 ontmoetingen' mozes en aäron kerk group
amsterdam '50 ontmoetingen' book
haarlem 'museumdirecteuren' portretwinkel group
amsterdam 'foam in het vondelpark' het vondelpark group
amsterdam primary school elout ‘kinderen van elout‘ solo
amsterdam amsterdams historisch museum group

2001
haarlem ‘je leven vergeten’ focus book
amsterdam ‘je leven vergeten‘ verpleeghuis wittenberg solo
lisboa 'dutch photography' centro cultural de belém group

2000
amsterdam 'panl nominations 2002' loods 5 group
bunnik 'gezichten van alzheimer' alzheimer nederland solo
amsterdam panl nominaties 1999 book
amsterdam panl 2 merit awards prize

1999
amsterdam 'here we go' fhv book
amsterdam 'je kostbaarste bezit' kesselskramer book
ijmuiden 'gezichten van alzheimer' zeeweg ziekenhuis solo
amsterdam 'gezichten van alzheimer' gallery 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 solo

1998
amsterdam amsterdams fonds voor de kunst ‘albert cuyp' commission

1996
amsterdam amsterdams fonds voor de kunst ‘gezichten van alzheimer‘ commission

1994
utrecht 'utrecht voor later' catalogue
utrecht 'hoog catharijne' kunstzaal achter den dom group

1992
utrecht stichting stedelijke fotografie utrecht ‘hoog catharijne‘ commission

1991
amsterdam 'laugharne portraits' gallery 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 group

1990
the hague bronovo art prize haagse kunstkring group
the hague bronovo art prize bronovo hospital prize

1989
amsterdam stichting 'de mei' prize
amsterdam 'primary school laugharne' de moor group

1988
amsterdam 'browns' hotel laugharne' de moor group
amsterdam 'portraits' de moor solo

publications national

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