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Gert van Dijk creates cityscapes of Leiden. During early morning walks, when the streets are still empty, he photographs locations that stand out because of the light.

When such a photo “works,” he begins working with a digital painting program. He translates the photo into a drawing. Van Dijk works with a consistent line thickness and fairly precise lines in a style known as Clear Line (think of the Tintin comics). It remains handcrafted: distracting elements in the photo are removed, and perspective is adjusted if necessary. Van Dijk does not use flat color areas but prefers to work with gradients, shadows, and patches of sunlight. Often, only one person appears in his drawings, adding a narrative to the cityscape: Gert van Dijk’s wife, enjoying the city in a red coat.

On view from 2 to 31 January 2026 at Galerie Zône in Leiden.
Address and opening hours: Nieuwstraat 17b, Leiden, Wed–Fri 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun 1–5 p.m. Opening on 11 January at 2 p.m.

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  • Free

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