His work is about life in captivity. It is a personal experience that does not let him go. In his dreams and images the cell windows keep coming back. In prison it is all about time. It is a continuous countdown that can be felt in his work. Threat and power are palpable, as you have no way to go. Toine asks himself: is this captivity or is this punishment as atonement?
In the past, Toine Bakermans was convicted several times for bank robberies. He spent nearly 20 years in various prisons. During his last detention, he started to paint as an autodidact. In 2010 he graduated at the Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam.
