Beach Life and Beyond with Bianca Berends

Dutch fine artist and portrait painter Bianca Berends brings the vibrancy of Caribbean life to canvas. Since 2011, she has spent much of the year on Curaçao, where the sun, sand, and sea inspire her expressive use of colour and bold brushwork. Best known for her portraits, Berends blends abstract and figurative elements, capturing everyday moments with a warmth and energy that reflects her surroundings.

Her ongoing Beach Life series celebrates the joy, movement, and authenticity of children and families at play by the water. Berends is drawn to the natural imagination of children, whose playful interactions with sand, water, and simple toys reveal a purity and originality that she seeks to convey in her paintings. Collectors and viewers often praise her ability to portray these moments with dignity and vibrancy, making each scene feel both personal and universal.

Working primarily in oils and pressed oil on canvas, Berends explores the interplay of light and shadow, colour and form. Her compositions balance bold brushstrokes with careful attention to detail, creating paintings that feel alive and dynamic. While portraits remain central to her practice, her work extends beyond the figure, capturing the energy and rhythms of everyday life in Curaçao and beyond.

For Bianca Berends, every canvas is an invitation to experience life through colour, light, and movement. Her work not only captures the beauty of the Caribbean environment but also honours the spirit and authenticity of the people who inhabit it. Through her paintings, viewers are drawn into moments of play, reflection, and connection, seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Explore more of her work at biancaberends.com