Karel Zijlstra

Karel Zijlstra

Past inhabitants of this world have intrigued Karel Zijlstra since his childhood. Over hundreds of thousands of years men and women developed from bestial creatures into spiritual human beings. Lack of specific knowledge made them believe in gods and miracles; life was explained and made bearable by storytelling. People joined in
secret associations, searching for the truth behind the harsh reality of the times they lived in. Karels figures have a grace and presence that reminds us, in these days of instant communication, that our ancestors
lived closer to the forces of the natural world and understood its complexities probably better than we do today.

Karel Zijlstra studied at the Academy of Industrial Design in Eindhoven. Since 1989 he has applied himself completely to sculpting. In this period he also discovered Celtic and mediaeval literature. Till today the King Arthur legends, the Holy Grail, Percival and Irish legends and Mesopotamian myths inspire his seemingly weightless bronze figures.