Biography

1924 Born in The Hague on 2 March.

1942–1947 Trained at the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, The Hague. Teachers:
Han van Dam, Rein Drayer, Henk Meyer, Willem Rozendaal and Willem Schrofer.



Left to right, seated: Toon Wegner, Cees Zitman, Co Westerik, Klaas van Biezen.
Lying: Jan Huffener. Teacher: Henk Meijer.

1946–51 Member of the artists’ society ‘Haagse Kunstkring’.

1948 Visit to the United States. Married the artist Hens de Jong.

1950 Honourable mention for Boy with bicycle (1950) by the Haagse Kunstkring.

1951 Jacob Maris Prize for painting (Fish seller, 1951).

1951–57 Member of the ‘Verve’ group in The Hague.

1952 Joined the artists’ society ‘Pulchri Studio’ in The Hague. Now honorary member.

1953 Royal Subsidy for Free Painting and Jacob Maris Prize for drawing (Anxious man, 1952).

1954–58 Teacher at the International School and the Deutsche Schule, Scheveningen.

1954 Royal Subsidy for Free Painting. Birth of daughter Christine.

1955 Jacob Maris Prize for painting (Children skipping, 1953–54).

1955–58 Teacher at the Vrije Academie in The Hague.

1957 Visit to Italy. Birth of daughter Victoria.

1958- 1971 Teacher at the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten in The Hague.

1960 Birth of daughter Sophie.

1961 Jacob Maris Prize for painting (Man and woman quarrelling, 1960) and drawing (Man with key, 1961).

1962 Commission from the Municipality of The Hague for the painting Funeral of H.M. Queen Wilhelmina (1962–64).

1965 Silver medal for entry in the VIII Bienal de São Paolo.

1966 Rembrandt Prize from the City of Leiden.

1969–70 Teacher at Ateliers ’63, Haarlem.

1970 Commission from the Association of Regional Water Authorities (1970).
Married gallery owner Fenna de Vries.
Birth of son Willem.

1971 National Prize for Art and Architecture.

1976 Commission from the Rotterdam Art Foundation for the mural Girl skipping at the Haagseveer police station in Rotterdam.

1977 Birth of son Maurits.

1986 South Holland Cultural Prize.

1989 Commission from the Rotterdam Art Foundation for the mural Flower with raindrops in the Oude Noorden district of Rotterdam.

1992 Death of oldest daughter Christine.

1999 Anjerfonds-Chabot Prize and Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

2003 Death of first wife Hens de Jong.

Co Westerik lives and works alternately in Rotterdam and the South of France (since 1971).