Winners of the Piket Art Prizes 2015: Lennart Lahuis, Sarah Murphy, and Nik van den Berg

Here are the winners of 2015:

Painting: Lennart Lahuis (Hengelo, 1986)

The painting jury praises the “inventive way” in which Lennart Lahuis “raises the concept of visibility.” By playing with the amount of information he reveals, Lahuis’ work requires effort from the viewer. “As a result, Lahuis communicates even more powerfully,” said the jury.

Dance: Sarah Murphy (Nova Scotia, Canada, 1988)

The jury sees Canadian Sarah Murphy as a talented dancer and hard worker: “Murphy uses every fiber of her body and effortlessly manages to captivate you.” She “intrigues” with her expressiveness and the ability to “express her emotions with as much detail as possible,” according to the jury.

Dramatic Arts: Nik van den Berg (‘s Gravenzande, 1987)

The jury describes Nik van den Berg as “an enormous talent” who was “rightfully nominated” last year. He knows how to captivate the audience with his extravagant theatrical personality. “Van den Berg makes sharp transitions and knows how to completely take over the stage,” said the jury.

Winner of the Piket Jury Prize: Jan Schouten (1953)

This accompanying pianist is, according to the jury, “a living legend, a remarkable musician, and an institution, but above all an everyday hero.” For over 40 years, he has brought joy to dancers at the Royal Conservatory and the Nederlands Dans Theater every day during their lessons. “His strength lies in playing with full conviction, enthusiasm, and love for dance every single day,” said the jury.

Frederik Hendrik Piket

Frederik Hendrik Piket (1927-2011), a lawyer and member of the Dutch Senate for the CHU (later CDA), was a great admirer of dance, theater, and painting. After his passing, a foundation was established that annually supports three young, promising artists under the age of 30 with an award.

Photo: Janneke van Beek