RALF KOKKE

September 16, 2019

RALF KOKKE

BIOGRAPHY

Born into a family of dockers in 1989 in Rotterdam Zuid, Ralf Rokke’s environment forged in him a peculiar personal experience of the world, one that he would later contemplate in his artwork.

Rokke directly delves into the social condition of stevedores, in their isolation as a community from other social circles. He stipulates that their incessant labor has, in some way. sealed their fates, secluding them from the world, and even from themselves; their psyche.

The physical and psychological effects of hard labor are mirrored in the crookedness of his paintings. This imperfection perfectly depicts the laborers, in the form of cartoon-like figures, in their desire to emancipate themselves from their almost immutable fate, as if cemented in their condition.

In view of this, he connects with painters that portray analogous scenarios, such as Co Westerik, Frits Van Den Berghe, Constant Permeke and Max Beckmann.

By reflecting on the struggles of the working class in the capitalist cycles, Ralf immortalizes human oppression in the form of paintings.

TIMELINE

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2021 Group Show, Gallery Gerhard Hofland- Amsterdam, Netherlands
2021 In Momentum, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery- London, UK
2021 Last Days of Summer, Eve Leibe Gallery- Milan, Italy
2021 Enter Art Fair, Hans Alf Gallery- Copenhagen, Denmark
2021 Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Hans Alf Gallery- Copenhagen, Denmark
2021 Formation, Greenhouse Auction- New York, USA
2021 Young Dreams, Août Gallery- Beirut, Lebanon
2020 WATCHLIST, Galerie Droste – Paris, France
2020 OUTBREAK, De Pont Museum – Tilburg, Netherlands
2020 Wunderwall, PLUS-ONE Gallery & Gallery Sofie Van De Velde – Antwerp, Belgium
2020 To Paint Is To Love Again, Nino Mier Gallery – Los Angeles, US
2020 Art Rotterdam, Concepts and Prospects Rotterdam – Rotterdam, Netherlands
2019 Allard Wildenberg Projects – Naarden, Netherlands
2019 Universes Show 2, The Garage Amsterdam – Amsterdam, Netherlands
2019 Cowboys and Aliens, Showhouse JayJay- Antwerp, Belgium
2019 Kunstpodium T – Tilburg, Netherlands
2019 My Biggest Small, Showhouse JayJay – Antwerp, Belgium
2019 Pictura/Dordrecht Nacht- Dordrecht, Netherlands
2019 Velvet Ropes, GIFC – Antwerp, Belgium
2018 Consequences, Kaus Australis Rotterdam – Rotterdam, Netherlands
2018 Screw Your Courage To The Sticky Place, Showhouse JayJay- Antwerp, Belgium

2018 Vruchtbare Grond, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam- Shiedam, Netherlands
2018 Wilde Haren, Galerie de Meerse Hoofddorp- Hoofddorp, Netherlands
2018 Waited for the fishcorner, Galerie Hommes Rotterdam – Rotterdam, Netherlands
2017 Throwing hands at Sheep, Pictura/Dordrecht- Dordrecht, Netherlands
2017 Art for animal sake – Rotterdam, Netherlands
2017 Ways of Seeing, Gallery Josilda da Conceicao Amsterdam – Amsterdam, Netherlands
2017 This Art Fair – Amsterdam, Netherlands
2018 Vruchtbare Grond, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam- Shiedam, Netherlands
2018 Wilde Haren, Galerie de Meerse Hoofddorp- Hoofddorp, Netherlands
2018 Waited for the fishcorner, Galerie Hommes Rotterdam – Rotterdam, Netherlands
2017 Throwing hands at Sheep, Pictura/Dordrecht- Dordrecht, Netherlands
2017 Art for animal sake – Rotterdam, Netherlands
2017 Ways of Seeing, Gallery Josilda da Conceicao Amsterdam – Amsterdam, Netherlands
2017 This Art Fair – Amsterdam, Netherlands