Wilhelmus Ruifrok: 
Biography Timeline

1952               Born in the Hague ,  The Netherlands .
1963               Lessons in oil painting , with Nick Stein
1967               Lessons  with   Maurice Angelo,
                       Cashmere High School
1971               Diploma in Graphic Design Art. ( with merit ) 
                       CHCH  Polytech .
1972               Studied at School of Fine Arts,
                       University of Canterbury.
                       Excellent grades, but left to paint fulltime 
1974               Winner of, NZ Royal Overseas League show. 
                       Exhibited painting in London.
1976               Travelled to Australia. Exhibited a painting                             The Adelaide Royal Academy show.
1978               Travelled to Europe. Exhibited a painting in                           Royal Academy Show, Roermond, NL
1979               Travelled to  Australia.
1980              Theatre Design and Puppetry with Briar
                       Middleditch
1983               Robert McDougall . mural project.
1989               QE2 Direct Support Grant.
1991                McDougall Art Annex show.
1998               Merit Award, Cranleigh Barton Awards .
2002               Part-time Tutor at Creation.
2003               Purchase of “ Life Spiral “  by Te Papa
2006               Real Art Road Show , includes two works.
2008               First Public sculpture, “ Stele “ purchased by                         Temuka Council and Alpine energy.

SoloExhibitions.
1974               CSA  Gallery,  Christchurch.
1975               Brook Gifford, Christchurch.
1976               CSA Gallery, Christchurch.
1980               Arts Centre, Christchurch.
1981               Closet Artists Gallery, Auckland.
1982               CSA  Gallery , Christchurch.
1983               CSA  Gallery,  Christchurch.
1985               Aberhart North , Auckland.
1985               Peter McLeavey, Wellington.
1986               Manawa Gallery, Christchurch.
1987               Aberhart North , Auckland.
1988               Jonathan Jensen . Christchurch.
1989               Aberhart North , Auckland.
1989               Peter McLeavey,  Wellington.
1991               McDougall Art Annex,Christchurch.
1995               La Quete  Gallery, Christchurch.
1996               Aberhart North, Auckland.
1996               Canterbury Gallery,Christchurch.
1996               Aberhart North , Auckland.
1997               Janne  Land , Wellington.
1998              The Edge , Christchurch.
2003             Janne Land , Wellington                                                                                                 
2005              Campbell Grant , Christchurch.
2006              Real Art Road Show,  two  works  included.
2007               Pencil Gallery,Gisborne.
2007               Allegory,Christchurch.
2008               Pencil Gallery, Gisborne.
2010               Windsor Gallery, Christchurch
2013                ARTBOX Gallery, Christchurch. (The Colour
                        Codes
2015               The Outer and Inner World, Chamber Gallery
                        Rangiora.



Selected Group Exhibitions .

1974               Finalist, Benson and Hedges Award  NZ  )
1975               Octagon Group  ( included Joanna Paul ) CS
1976               Group Exhibition ,Adelaide Academy ,
1978               Royal Academy, Roermond,  Netherlands.
1981              “Surreal Meal”, Closet artists , Auckland .
1982               Finalist,Wanganui Art Award.
1984               CSA , Gallery,Christchurch.
1987               Aberhart North , Auckland.
1987               Hawkes Bay Art Gallery.
1988               Goodman Suter Biennale, Nelson.
1989               Aberhart North , Auckland.
1990               Goodman Suter Biennale , Nelson.
1991                Finalist, Visa Gold Award.
                        1,     Finalist, Wallace  Art  Award .Auckland.                            2, Finalist,Cranleigh Barton Drawing Award ,                                              Christchurch winner of m   
1998                Forty Canterbury Artists , Robert McDougall ,                       Christchurch.
1999                Finalist, Cranleigh Barton Drawing Award                                                Christchurch.
2008                Papergraphica. Etchings.
2008                Papergraphica. Christmas show. 
2009                First prize Peters Doig, Marlborough
                          Art  Awards    
2009                Papergraphica, Christmas Show
2010                 Papergraphica, Christmas Show
2011                  Study Computer Graphic Design, at Natcoll,
                         The Febuarary 22nd  Earthquake hits
                         the studio is damaged.
2012                 Exhibition in Oxford, for quake affected
                          Artists
                          I receive a Creative New Zealand, 
                          Emergency Arts Grant,
                          Finalist in the Wallace Art Awards
                          Papergraphica, Christmas Show
2012                  Graduate with Diploma in Computer                                       Graphic Design.   Design From Natcoll/ 2015                  50 Works Gallery opening, Mary rose Crook
                          and Wilhelmus Ruifrok
Collections
                           Robert McDougall   Art Gallery  now
                           TePuna O WaiWhetu.
                           The BNZ Collection , Wellington.
                           Museum of New Zealand Te Papa,
                           Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui ,
                           Nayland Trust , Christchurch.
                           Wallace Trust , Auckland .
                           MacMillan Brown Library ,Christchurch .
                           Max Broadbent , Christchurch.
                           Real Art Road Show Collection.
                           Anthony Wright collection
                           David Abbot collection

Wilhelmus Ruifrok: 
Artistic Background

In 1952 Wilhelmus Ruifrok was born in Den Hague, the Netherlands. In 1963 he began taking lessons in oil paintings with Nick Stein. Two years later Wilhelmus became a New Zealand citizen.

In 1971, he received a Diploma of Graphic Design from the Christchurch Polytechnic. In 1972 Wilhelmus studied at the School of Fine Art at the University Of Canterbury, achieving high marks
but leaving the following year to paint full time. Shortly after he began exhibiting several of his tutors at the University purchased his paintings.

In 1974 Wilhelmus won the prestigious Royal Overseas League Award for painting, the judge for which was Art History Professor John Simpson. The winning painting was then exhibited in London the following year.

Wilhelmus traveled to Europe in 1978 where he exhibited a painting in the Netherlands Royal Academy show, located in Roermond. He studied Rembrandt, Mondrian and other accomplished artists’ work in galleries throughout Holland. He continued painting and exhibiting and was briefly involved in puppetry and theatre on his return to
New Zealand.

Notably, in 1989 Wilhelmus was awarded a Queen Elizabeth 2nd direct support grant. This work was then exhibited at the McDougall Art Annex, Christchurch in 1991. Then in 2003, his painting
‘Life Spiral’ was purchased by the Te Papa
Museum, Wellington.

In 2006, the Real Art Roadshow purchased and toured two of Wilhelmus’ paintings. His first sculpture, ‘Stele’, was unveiled in Temuka in 2008.
A year later, the painting ‘Iconoclast’ won first
prize in the Peters Doig Marlborough Art Society awards. The painting was then purchased by Peter Yealands of Yealands’ Wine, Marlborough.

In 2009, Wilhelmus also began up-skilling in computer literacy and the digital manipulation of images. The following attained a computer-based Diploma of Graphic at Natcoll Design Technology.

Wilhelmus’ current project is a series of paintings, titled ‘The Colour Codes’. These colourful works on aluminum will be shown in a new art gallery, called THE ARTBOX project, the exhibition  opens 28th August 2013.