Even over the phone, an amiable warmth radiates from the 78-year-old Cyril Lixenberg’s thick Dutch accent. The artist is a charming, conversational fellow with a swift sense of humor. He’s also a man who has come a long way to build an accomplished 40-year career as a sculptor and printmaker.

On July 5, 1932, Lixenberg was born in the East end of London — what he refers to as “the Bronx” of London — into a large, Jewish family with six brothers and five sisters. With his family living in a low income and highly populated immigrant neighborhood, Lixenberg says art was not a part of their lives.

By the time he turned 14, Lixenberg was serving an apprenticeship making rings. He then discovered an opportunity to attend art school to learn his trade.

“I was so fascinated,” Lixenberg said. While attending the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London, he was able to explore galleries and museums. A new world opened up before him, igniting a life-changing revelation. “That was it. I knew I wanted to be an artist.”

Today Lixenberg lives and works in Amsterdam, where his focus has shifted considerably from the human form. Since his painting days, he has found a love for printmaking and the construction of metal sculptures. Lixenberg said his interest in these types of art “suddenly took over.”

Lixenberg primarily creates silk screen prints featuring vivid abstract or geometric forms and bold massive sculptures with intricate detail. From his early pieces, he has expressed a preference for using color as an accent in his pieces, as well as playing with black and white to create contrast.

Despite living across the globe, Lixenberg and his work have become a part of West Michigan’s art community.

“He is one of the leading and most important artists in the Netherlands, and he has had a connection to West Michigan for years,” said Henry Matthews, GVSU director of galleries and collections. “People might recognize his work without knowing who he is.”

Lixenberg has completed numerous commissions since 1970, including three in Michigan. His most recent piece from 2007, Steel Water, is a 33-foot, 10,000-lb metal structure that stands along the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids near the JW Marriot hotel. He also participated in ArtPrize 2010 with Magela-S, a sculpture inspired by his late wife Saskia, which he donated to GVSU.

Collections of his work are held in several venues, including GVSU’s Print and Drawing Cabinet. Matthews, who worked with Lixenberg in previous exhibitions before serving as director at GVSU, suggested Lixenberg donate his prints.

“The idea was that it would be a complete collection in one place,” Matthews explained. Lixenberg donated 300 prints. GVSU now stores and displays over 400 of his pieces. “It’s a terrific thing. It was with Cyril’s gift we were able to form and establish the cabinet.”

Students and staff can view some of Lixenberg’s work in the Kirkhof faculty dining room, where selected prints will be displayed through April 29. .

“It’s very gratifying,” he said. “It’s a wonderful life, and it’s a luxury to live.”

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