LUC LEESTEMAKER — Poetic Abstract Expressionist Painter

Luc Leestemaker (1957–2012) was a Dutch-born American painter whose lyrical, atmospheric abstractions bridge the bold emotional gestures of Abstract Expressionism with the meditative calm of landscape painting. Born in the Netherlands, Leestemaker was largely self-taught but grew up deeply influenced by his grandfather, a painter for the Dutch court. Before becoming a full-time artist, he built a multifaceted career in Amsterdam’s cultural scene helping to establish a performing arts center, an artist collective, and a monthly magazine devoted to the intersection of business and the arts. As managing director of Leestemaker & Associates, a consulting firm for arts marketing and public relations, his clients included the Dutch government’s cultural portfolio.

In the 1990s Leestemaker relocated to Los Angeles, initially working as an actor and model before devoting himself fully to painting. His artistic vocabulary emerged from both American and European Abstract Expressionism, expanding over time into a more serene, luminous style characterized by sweeping brushwork, softened horizons, and compositions that evoke vast skies, open seas, and dreamlike terrains. His technique, vigorous yet contemplative, references art-historical traditions while creating spaces that feel psychically expansive and emotionally resonant.

Leestemaker’s collaborative spirit extended across disciplines. In 2005 he established a private art fund to mentor emerging artists, including sculptor Patrick Marold, photographer Richard D’Amore, and composer Vincent Ho. Ho later composed Four Paintings by Leestemaker, a chamber work inspired by the artist’s canvases. Leestemaker also collaborated with jazz legend Charlie Haden, creating the album artwork for Haden’s Grammy Award–winning Land of the Sun (2005). His paintings have appeared in major film and television productions including Spider-Man, Erin Brockovich, Shopgirl, Fracture, and Boston Legal.

In 2012 Leestemaker was honored as a Star of Design in the art category by the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. He passed away the same year, on his 55th birthday. His work continues to be shown widely across North America, Europe, and Asia; in 2014, his paintings were selected for exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Beijing (MoCA Beijing). Today his art remains part of numerous public, private, and corporate collections.

Explore Luc Leestemaker at DTR Modern Galleries

DTR Modern Galleries is proud to include the work of Luc Leestemaker in our contemporary program, showcasing his evocative, expressive abstractions across our gallery locations in New York City, Boston, Palm Beach, and Washington, D.C.