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Tjepkema began writing poems and short stories when he was still a teenager. He later illustrated these pieces and began painting with water colours. By the time he entered university, he had written hundreds of poems and dozens of short stories some of which were published in literary reviews. After graduating with a B.A., he moved to what was then Czechoslovakia. It was there that he wrote his first novel and began to work with oil paints. During the three years that he lived there, he associated with many artists and became involved in the emerging Czech alternative music scene. He became the "fifth member" of a prominent Czech music group called Narajama and provided them with English lyrics and album covers. This association continues to this day and he continues to exhibit his art in The Czech Republic. Last year he published his second novel with the professional Czech publisher Votobia. He's done several interviews for the print media and has appeared on television once. It is in Czech where his name as an artist is most established. |
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In 1994 he moved to The Netherlands, a second homeland for he comes from Dutch roots, and continued to work on his art full time. He's done a few shows in Holland and made a number of private sales. He is loosely associated with a group of Dutch artists who work under the banner "Art Attack." He has done a number of conceptual pieces that reflect what he learned from these artists. After living in The Netherlands for six years, he returned to his native Canada. He has done several shows since his return and continues to associate himself with other writers and painters. With regards to style, it can be said that Tjepkema is working in the Psychedelic tradition. His paintings are characterized by outbursts of colour and medieval decoration. It can perhaps also be said that he is working in a Dutch/ Flemish tradition that includes artists like Bosch, Breughel, Van Gogh and M.C Escher. Many of his works function like visual stories. He also employs symbolism, the meaning of which becomes apparent in the overall context of his paintings and books. |
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He has of late taken up new forms of art. He is currently working on artworks that he calls Lessendgames which involve films, objects, treasure chests, scavenger hunts, practical jokes, literature, music, paintings, performance art, kaleidoscopes and just about anything else that one finds these days in reality. Tjepkema currently resides in Canada where he continues to write and make art full time. |
Paintings |
Mixed Media Art |
Novels: A Fairy TalePendrek DromeTheater Obscura |
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