Henk van Woerden
Encyclopedia
Henk van Woerden was a Dutch
painter
and writer
with close ties to South Africa
.
, South Africa. Van Woerden matriculated in 1964 at the Fine Arts faculty of the University of Cape Town
. After three years he broke off his studies and moved to Amsterdam
.
After extensive travelling in Europe and a stay on Crete
he started his artistic career first as painter based in the Dutch capital. He received the Royal Award for Painting in 1980, and represented the country at international exhibitions.
In the 80is the focus of his artistic work shifted to writing. The first books are part of his South African trilogy, beginning with Moenie kyk nie (Don’t Look, 1993) and Tikoes (1996). Followed by Een mond vol Glas (1998) which found critical acclaim by renowned South African writers as Breyten Breytenbach
, J.M. Coetzee
or André Brink
, and won the 2001 Alan Paton Award
. It is a biography of Dimitri Tsafendas
who assassinated South African president Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, in the House of Assembly in 1966, was declared insane, and held in prison until he died in 1999. In 2000 Dan Jacobson
edited and translated the book into English as A Mouthful of Glass or The assassin: a story of race and rage in the land of Apartheid (American edition). A Mouthful of Glass was later used as the basis for the 2003 stage play I.D.
This trilogy was followed by Notities van een luchtfietser (Notes from an Air Cyclist, 2002), about travelling in realty as in the mind, and Ultramarijn (Ultramarine, 2005) which would turn out to be his last work.
His books have been translated into more than ten languages.
Henk van Woerden died in November 2005 of a heart attack in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he stayed as Writer-in-Residence for Michigan University.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
with close ties to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Biography
He was born in Leiden. In 1956 he emigrated with his family to Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa. Van Woerden matriculated in 1964 at the Fine Arts faculty of the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
. After three years he broke off his studies and moved to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
After extensive travelling in Europe and a stay on Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
he started his artistic career first as painter based in the Dutch capital. He received the Royal Award for Painting in 1980, and represented the country at international exhibitions.
In the 80is the focus of his artistic work shifted to writing. The first books are part of his South African trilogy, beginning with Moenie kyk nie (Don’t Look, 1993) and Tikoes (1996). Followed by Een mond vol Glas (1998) which found critical acclaim by renowned South African writers as Breyten Breytenbach
Breyten Breytenbach
Breyten Breytenbach is a South African writer and painter with French citizenship.-Biography:Breyten Breytenbach was born in Bonnievale, Western Cape, approximately 180 km from Cape Town and 100 km from the southernmost tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas...
, J.M. Coetzee
John Maxwell Coetzee
John Maxwell Coetzee ; is an author and academic from South Africa. He is now an Australian citizen and lives in Adelaide, South Australia...
or André Brink
André Brink
André Philippus Brink, OIS, is a South African novelist. He writes in Afrikaans and English and is a Professor of English at the University of Cape Town....
, and won the 2001 Alan Paton Award
Alan Paton Award
The Alan Paton Award is a South African literary award that been conferred annually since 1989 for meritorious works of non-fiction. Sponsored by the Johannesburg weekly the Sunday Times, recipients represent the cream of contemporary South African writers who produce works that are judged to...
. It is a biography of Dimitri Tsafendas
Dimitri Tsafendas
Dimitri Tsafendas assassinated the "Architect of Apartheid", South African Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd on 6 September 1966...
who assassinated South African president Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, in the House of Assembly in 1966, was declared insane, and held in prison until he died in 1999. In 2000 Dan Jacobson
Dan Jacobson
Dan Jacobson is a novelist, short story writer, critic and essayist. He has lived in Great Britain for most of his adult life, and for many years held a professorship in the English Department at University College London...
edited and translated the book into English as A Mouthful of Glass or The assassin: a story of race and rage in the land of Apartheid (American edition). A Mouthful of Glass was later used as the basis for the 2003 stage play I.D.
This trilogy was followed by Notities van een luchtfietser (Notes from an Air Cyclist, 2002), about travelling in realty as in the mind, and Ultramarijn (Ultramarine, 2005) which would turn out to be his last work.
His books have been translated into more than ten languages.
Henk van Woerden died in November 2005 of a heart attack in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he stayed as Writer-in-Residence for Michigan University.