Hendrik (Henk) Krijger was born in 1914 to Christian missionaries in the colony of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). He was born and spent his early years in Karuni, a small village on the island of Sumba. Little is known about his early years, but the Indonesian culture he grew up in had a lifelong impact on his artistic style. In 1928, at the age of fourteen, Krijger moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands to pursue his education. He was formally trained in book design, typography, illustration, and type design. Krijger pursued many kinds of fine artmaking, including painting, drawing, collage, jewelry design, sculpture, and mural making.

Krijger lived through World War II in Amsterdam, experienced Nazi occupation, and participated in the Resistance. After the war, he moved to North America, living in both Chicago, Illinois, and Toronto, Canada. In America, he worked at the Institute of Christian Art in Chicago, which later relocated to Toronto under Krijger and others’ leadership as the Patmos Institute. Much of Krijger’s work explores his relation to and belief in Christianity, which was often relayed subtly and through symbolism. Additionally, Krijger created artwork related to themes of mythology, literature, and everyday life. He also created some works in response to World War II, including a sculpture in the Netherlands celebrating the millionth home built after the destruction of the war. Krijger returned to the Netherlands in 1973 and remained there until he died in 1979.

The GVSU Art Museum holds the largest public collection of Krijger’s art. 

Explore more work by Henk Krijger in the collection