Charles Henri was born in Amsterdam at 21 September 1948 at the time his father (1911-2005) studied art at the Rijksacademie in his home town. It was obvious that this influenced Henri. As soon as he could walk his father took him to the important museums, such as the Rijksmuseum and showed him the masterpieces of Rembrandt, Hals, Vermeer, Manet, Monet and van Gogh. In a drawing, which Charles made at the age of five, he tried to make his own version of the “Nightwatch” by Rembrandt and another large painting that shows the battle of Waterloo by Pieneman, after he had first seen it. Through small books, which his father kept in his cupboard, he discovered the works of Michael-Angelo, Rodin, Maillol and Henri de Toulouse Lautrec. He was always drawing pictures. On the internet he found lately, a story of a policeman in Amsterdam, whom appeared to be a schoolmate in the early fifties, he remembered a boy with curly hair who always was drawing woman in very small bikini’s. When the teacher discovered this, he was punished, by showing it to all the colleagues of the school, who mocked him and made fun of him. “Even though it was in the third grade, I never forgot this incident, however it was a great surprise that someone else didn't either”. An early photograph made in the sixth grade of the primary school shows him while making a portrait in clay, while others made small showcases. He made his first oil-paintings when he was fourteen years old, after he returned from a visit to Paris with his parents, on the back of his father’s motorcycle. Even though he started his studies at the art academy in Groningen at the age of 28.“I never thought I could”, he explained. “My father wanted to be an artist, but found it very difficult to earn his money, in the early post-war years. It was simply better to learn a “proper” trade, I suppose”. When he finished Art school in 1982, he wanted more and took another two years at the Art academy of Kampen. He started his career with painting and drawing in 1992 he had his first success with a bronze. On an exhibition in a park in Assen he had only one small sculpture, but it was the most popular of the park. It was sold 4 times in a short notice, while the other competitors sold none. It stimulated Henri to go on and the next year he had a solo-exhibition in the gardens of the “Havesathe” the Havixhorst that brought him even more success. In 2000 he bought a new atelier where his wife and he do there own casting. Charles Henri made more then fifty medium sized, the same amount small and two life-sized sculptures. He had exhibitions in the Netherlands, Germany, France and the caribean.

The work It seemed unavoidable, that Charles Henri chose nudes as a subject, when he started to make sculptures. Inevitable also, was the choice for the human being as subject for his paintings, though they where more anecdotal in its contents. The sculptures however only show the human beauty. He tried to make a new form for the old standard. He wanted to create his own idiom, which is the normal behaviour of the nude. That resulted in combinations with water and sun. The escape from their pedestal is significant for his creations. In this he is one of the leading artists in the Netherlands. While the sculptures are made in limited editions of eight, many owners throughout the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France and the United States, are proud to have work in their collections.

Exhibitions: After 1992 he had more than a hundred Exhibitions in Holland, Germany, France and even in the West Indies, among them: Amsterdam, Utrecht, Keukenhof -Lisse, Amersfoort, Groningen, Senlis and Gassin (France), Saint Martin (Guadeloupe) and many other places.For a more complete list see the Dutch page. Charles Henri is registrated at the CBK Drenthe and Naturistart.