Erwin de Vries (1929 - 2018)
Erwin de Vries (1929–2018) was a sculptor and painter. In the Netherlands, he is best known as the designer and creator of the National Slavery Monument. During his school years, De Vries already stood out for his drawing talent. He moved to the Netherlands and, in 1953, obtained his teaching certificate in drawing (MO-akte) at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague. However, the resulting job as an art teacher in Paramaribo did not suit him. He gave up the security of a steady income to pursue his greatest dream: living as an artist.
From 1959 to 1963, he studied at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. The artist left behind a large and diverse body of work in which he navigated, with virtuosity and originality, between figuration and abstraction. He alternated painted plaster sculptures with lifelike bronze portraits and created expressionist paintings and drawings. His work reflects an immense zest for life, with the female nude and eroticism playing a central role. His often exuberant use of color unmistakably reflected his Caribbean, multicultural background.