Retrospective exhibition Jacob Lawrence

On Jan. 4, the exhibition on Jacob Lawrence on display for the last time. We look back on a wonderfully well-attended exhibition and creative collages that visitors made in the KAdEStudio. It received 5 balls from NRC, 5 stars from Volkskrant and many wonderful reviews at home and abroad. 

It was the first retrospective on Jacob Lawrence in Europe and included his entire body of work. Supplemented by personal objects and photographs from Lawrence's collection, books that inspired him and media that give a picture of the times in which he lived, since the history of the Black population of the United States plays such a prominent role in Lawrence's work. Jacob Lawrence's story can be read on a specially created exhibit website and there is a extensive catalog compiled. 

We are happy to share these rave reviews with you:

“An exhibition where everything comes together and rings true: history, design, art, beauty, human dignity. Sadly, it is still current, but it leaves a mark of hope. Thank you, for organizing it. And so unique in Europe. This deserves to be emulated.” 

“What an extraordinary exhibition. Rarely has art had such a topical charge that gives you food for thought and enjoyment.”

“What a fantastic exhibition! So socially and historically important!” 

“Can't Trump be invited to come and have a look? Or send him a catalog.”

“Can't believe I haven't heard of Lawrence!”

“One of the finest exhibitions I saw in the past year.” 

“Wonderful exhibition! Very good picture of life, work and world of Lawrence. How little we know about the struggle in America!”

“In Europe he is unjustly less known, reason for Kunsthal KAdE in Amersfoort to come up with Jacob Lawrence. African American Modernist, a major retrospective of this overwhelming artist.” NRC 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴

“Jacob Lawrence shaped the African-American experience. Sixty years on, his art is painfully current.” Volkskrant ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Nowhere is there a word too many. As you read, look at another painting and take in the next little text, you know: this is not only very good but also very important. No president with dictatorial tendencies should just try to erase that.” Museum Magazine

“Single works [by Jacob Lawrence] had been shown in Europe before, but an overview of his work in Europe was still lacking. Now we have succeeded, and the result is spectacular. The exhibition traces Lawrence's work from his earliest works, when he was a young man in Harlem recording everyday life, to his later series. This is unusual because many of his paintings are on permanent display in American museums. Individual series have been the subject of exhibitions in recent years, but such a large survey is truly unique.” The Mirror

“Jacob Lawrence: African American sparks a desire to understand the broader world in which Lawrence worked, including the social history, artistic networks, and political urgency of the time.” GLEAN