Ben Kleyn (b. 1962) is self-taught. His career now spans many, many years. It is safe to say that he excels in versatility. As a young boy from Rotterdam, he was already drawing portraits of the regulars at his parents’ restaurant on the Westersingel in Rotterdam. The portraits were a sought-after work of art, so Bennie was busy making them. A little older, Ben began successfully making drawings and coloring them beautifully. The works found their way to a gallery in Koblenz, Germany, where they were also very impressed with what the “Dutch Boy” could do. Eventually photography became his interest and he developed a very unique way of making portraits. Many Dutch politicians, TV stars, etc. fell under the spell of Ben’s talent. Frans Molenaar accepted him into the family and from then on only wanted to be photographed by Ben. Ben did not want to become a fashion photographer, so it remained to personal portraits of Frans himself. A few years ago he started painting again and the creations of fish Landscapes are the result of this. The fish Landscapes are the particularly beautiful result of a combination of painting with acrylic paint on layers of epoxy. The work is built up in layers creating a 3D effect. We see the fish swimming in beautiful bowls. Totally zen among the greenery. The work consists of at least 20 layers rising to as many as 110, each of which must dry for at least 24 to 48 hours before he can continue working. All in all, a labor-intensive project, so there is only one unique piece of each work. The works are heavy and solid and are made in different sizes and materials.