Amsterdam artist Peter Klashorst (67) has passed away. He had been suffering from lymphoma for some time and was infected with HIV years ago.
The Amsterdammer was known for his erotic art and colorful work. In the 80s he was part of the Amsterdam art scene together with Paul Blanca, Joost Zwagerman, Koos Dalstra and Rob Scholte. He founded the artist collective ‘After Nature’, in protest against abstract expressionist art and focused on classical themes such as nude portraits and landscapes.
In 1997 he painted the fences around the Stedelijk Museum that was being renovated. His nude models floated in the museum pond, which he then depicted ‘landscape-wise’.
Klashorst lived for years in one of the tobacco houses in the Spuistraat that he had squatted with other artists and where he also had his studio. During the eviction of that building he was arrested by police officers in 2015.
In the late 1990s, Klashorst lived and worked in Africa for many years, where he painted nude portraits of women, among other things. In April 2000, he ended up in prison in Senegal for this and was charged with inciting prostitution. He eventually managed to escape from prison after three weeks. Three years later, he was also arrested in Gambia for making ‘obscene paintings’.
Below is an episode of the AT5 program Kort Amsterdams in which Peter Klashorst shows his favorite spot in Amsterdam: the Kalverstraat
The cause of death has not yet been announced. It was known that Klashorst was infected with HIV and suffered from lymphoma. His publisher and friend Jaap Holtapffel wrote to him on Facebook that the artist was admitted to the AMC in August. Last Tuesday he was taken to intensive care and Klashorst died on Wednesday evening.
