A 2011 exhibition at the Tuol Sleng S21 prison in Cambodia marked a distinct moment in the career of Peter Klashorst. Featuring 50 original paintings, the show served as a tribute to the victims of the Khmer Rouge genocide, drawing international media coverage from outlets including The New York Times and the Herald Tribune.
Artistic Formation and Recognition
Born in Santpoort-Zuid in 1957, Klashorst received his formal training at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. His early professional output gained significant institutional validation in the Netherlands during the early 1980s. He secured the Johan en Titia Buning-Brongers Prize in 1982, followed shortly by the Royal Prize for Free Painting in 1983. These accolades established his standing within the Dutch art scene.
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Klashorst operated across several disciplines, including sculpture, portrait photography, and nude studies. His professional associations included memberships in the groups After Nature and Soviet Sex. Beyond his native country, he maintained a nomadic studio practice, producing bodies of work in locations such as Bangkok, Mombasa, and Phnom Penh, documenting these shifts in various monographs and exhibition catalogues throughout his career.
Final Years and Legacy
Based largely out of the Tabakspanden on the Spuistraat in Amsterdam, Klashorst continued his artistic activities well into the 21st century. He managed several self-organized exhibitions during this period. In his later years, he lived with HIV. Klashorst died in Amsterdam on 11 September 2024 at the age of 67, following a diagnosis of lymphoma.
Fast facts
- Born: 1957, Santpoort-Zuid
- Died: 11 September 2024, Amsterdam
- Education: Gerrit Rietveld Academie
- Key Prizes: Royal Prize for Free Painting, Buning Brongers Prize
- Disciplines: Painting, sculpture, photography
- Key Groups: After Nature, Soviet Sex
- Age at death: 67
Questions readers ask
Where was Peter Klashorst educated?
He attended the Gerrit Rietveld Academie.
What major project did he complete in Cambodia?
In 2011, he held an exhibition at the Tuol Sleng S21 prison consisting of 50 paintings dedicated to victims of the Khmer Rouge.
Achievements
- Buning Brongers Prize
- Royal Prize for Painting
