Born on May 6, 1921, in Heerlen, to a family of miners, Ber Mengels began working in the coal mine at a young age. He showed artistic talent from a young age and took drawing lessons in Heerlen. In 1943, he went into hiding and became acquainted with a painter, with whom he painted outdoors.
After the liberation, Mengels briefly worked in the mines again, but increasingly focused on art. His first exhibition took place in 1947 in Sittard. In 1950, he moved to The Hague. Shortly thereafter, he became a lecturer in still life, portrait, and figure painting at the Vrije Academie, where he taught for over two decades.
Mengels' paintings from the 1950s often depict everyday urban scenes—think blank walls, dead-end streets, and fences—sometimes enveloped in a quiet, almost desolate atmosphere. He is considered a member of the "New Hague School." Besides being a painter, Mengels was also a sculptor. From the 1960s onward, he began experimenting with objects that focused on kinetics, light, sound, and social messages. He created sculptural objects from found materials, containing parts that rotated, changed color, or displayed text. In the 1980s, his work became increasingly abstract.
Recognition, Exhibitions, and Legacy
He became a member of the Hague Art Circle and Pulchri Studio. His works were included in government, institutional, and private collections. Mengels received awards including the Grote Kerk Prize (1961), the Jacob Hartog Prize (1978), and the Inkt Grafiek Prize (1985).
He died on June 19, 1995, in The Hague.
