Joop Hekmanartist • sculptorUtrecht 1921-2013

Joop Hekman was a sculptor and medalist. At fourteen, he began lessons with his uncle, the sculptor W. van Kuilenberg, and the medalist J.C. Wienecke. From 1938 to 1942, he was a student at the Academie Kunstoefening in Arnhem, where he further developed his skills in sculpture and goldsmith. Hekman's work is diverse. In addition to sculptures in bronze or stone, fired clay or wood, he creates reliefs and mosaics in ceramic and brick. He places his monumental sculptures in a special architectural context, which he often designs himself. One of his best-known works is the 'Feast of the Muses,' the bronze sculpture group with three female nudes for the Stadsschouwburg in Utrecht. As a medalist, he created a liberation medal and coins for Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles.