Ernst is a Dutch artist creating contemporary art. In the mid eighties, he started painting, taking lessons from the well-known Dutch artist Jan de Kok. In the first half of the nineties, Ernst studied art history and worked as illustrator and documentary photographer. Furthermore, his work was showcased in a several exhibitions in the Netherlands.
Over the years, he altered and refined his style, experimenting with and mixing different media. Nowadays, he blends sumi-e ink, acrylic paint, acrylic paint markers and fine liners to create a synthesis between painting and drawing styles.
Upon closer inspection, in his paintings and drawings he contrasts the fluidity and vibrancy of painting with the clarity and technical nature of drawing and graphics design. This hybrid is evident in the contrast between styles and the composition of the various pictorial elements, from organic shapes to basic geometric elements. He takes inspiration from constructivists and Bauhaus artists, modern architecture and city design, and patterns from illustrative art and design objects - in particular those from Japan and the Nordic countries - to create contemporary art pieces. Thereby, his style is certainly been influenced by to the several years he spent at the Bauhaus in Weimar, where he worked at the Faculty of Architecture.
His artwork can be found in Europe, USA and Canada in private collections and corporate buildings.
