Rudolf Bikkers

Rudolf Bikkers, RCA (born April 5, 1943 in Hilversum, Netherlands) is a Canadian painter, printmaker, educator and entrepreneur. Bikkers has had 23 solo shows and participated in 20 group shows in Canada, the United States, Europe, South Africa, China, Japan and Russia.

Jack Chambers and Rudolf Bikkers in the studios of Editions Canada London, Ontario, Canada 1978

Career
Rudolf Bikkers and Karel Appel in the studios of Editions Canada, London, Ontario, Canada 1979

In 1960 at the age of 17 he was the youngest student to be admitted to the Jan Van Eyck Academie in Maastricht on a six-year scholarship and graduated with honours in 1966. He studied the cello with Bob Reuling for two years, followed by four years with Chrétien Bonfrère at the Conservatorium of Maastricht. In the summer of 1966 he emigrated to Canada.

From 1967–1969 he taught drawing at H.B. Beal Secondary School in London, Ontario. From 1969–1976 he was Chair of the Printmaking Department at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. In 1975 he established the Master Print Studio “Editions Canada Inc.”, custom printing and publishing many Canadian and international artists, among them Greg Curnoe, Jack Chambers, Edward Bartram, Clark McDougall, Walter Redinger, Claude Breeze, Karel Appel and Paul Jenkins.

In 1983 he became the Chair of Printmaking at OCA, (now OCAD University) in Toronto where he taught until July 1, 2012.

Recognition
Rudolf Bikkers with Canadian painter Greg Curnoe.

During his career Bikkers has received several awards and honourable mentions, including the A.J. Casson Award. He was elected member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts[1] in 2000 and received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.

His work is part of many public collections at the AGO, RCM, Banff Arts Centre, National Archives, Art Bank Canada Council, Art Gallery of Windsor, Hamilton Art Gallery, Museum London, Gallery Stratford, Metro Toronto Reference Library, OCAD University, McIntosh Gallery Western, Art Gallery of Mississauga, and Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation.

Among his fundraising initiatives was in 2000 the AIDS (Artists International Direct Support) Portfolio for Sub-Saharan children affected by HIV/AIDS and in 2002 the RCA/EPSON Painters Portfolio.

Rudolf Bikkers and his wife Thera have a son and a daughter, all living in Toronto.

References
  1. "Members since 1880". Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
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