As a child I carved portraits out portraits of a soft sandstone.
When I was 9 years old I started to collect minerals and gemstones. Every day I carried a small stone in my pocket so I could touch each stone with my hands and learn to know each stone by its form even when blindfolded.
High school time made me aware of my love for art although my parents wanted me to become a dentist. I joined a groups of friends who got empty unprinted books from one of the fathers who was a well-known writer and artist. We sketched onto the empty pages of those books.
On leaving home, I had almost no money and so I moved to the North of Holland to work in a village as a farmer's assistant. I took art courses on Saturday mornings after caring for the cattle.
After leaving this farm I moved to a very small room in the city of Groningen. There I met my wife and worked in the factory's production line and other low work.
Then I found work in an art framing shop to pay my study for the evening course at the academy of sculpture.
Being urged by my professors I gave up work and took the daily course, a difficult time with just a little support the first year.
I did 2 studies the same time at 2013: Monumental Art and also Sculpture to gain the most from the study.
After one year I got a government loan to study and live with my wife. I continued and finished both studies successfully by taking an individual approach which was granted by the professors.
Being very passionate I worked over the holidays at school because I copied the school entrance key. My attitude to the lectures was quite different from my other classmates.
- Hans Mes
