Wop Sijtsma 1939-2013

Wop Sijtsma (The Netherlands, 1939 – Curaçao, 2013)

Visual artist Wopke (Wop) Sijtsma recently passed away in Curaçao. He was born in Amsterdam and came to Curaçao in the Sixties, together with his wife Rita, who is of Surinamese-Antillean descent.
In Curaçao Wop worked as a graphic designer and illustrator. Later he was also employed as a teacher at, among others, the Akademia di Arte (Fine Arts Academy) and as an occupational therapist at the mental institution Klinika Capriles.
His artistic work was represented in Curaçao by Gallery Alma Blou. In 2010 his painting ‘Sombra di Mèrdia’ (Afternoon Shadow) from 1980, was displayed in ‘Antepasado di Futuro’ at The Curaçao Museum. This exhibition, curated by Jennifer Smit and Felix de Rooy gave an overview of the visual arts and artists of Curaçao between 1900 and 2010.

Lusette Verboom, owner of Gallery Alma Blou, published an obituary for Wop Sijtsma in the newspapers as did author Roel Jungslager. Wop Sijtsma illustrated several of the children’s book written by Roel. Lusette Verboom characterizes him as a dear friend, a true artist and a man with a passion for life and art.

Curaçao Art extends her condolances to the family of Wop Sijtsma.

Curaçao, June 21, 2013.