Alf Bärbel Wit Peters, 11, Brings His Intuitive Abstraction to PAN Amsterdam and Art Miami

At a Glance

• Alf Bärbel Wit Peters, born in Amsterdam in 2015, paints abstract, layered compositions entirely by intuition.
• All available works at his spring 2026 gallery debut with SmithDavidson Gallery at KunstRAI Amsterdam were acquired by collectors in the Netherlands, London, Milan and New York.
• SmithDavidson presents new work at PAN Amsterdam, November 1 to 8, where he is the youngest artist ever presented at the fair.
• His work then comes to Art Miami, December 1 to 6, during Miami Art Week.

In the spring of 2026, Alf Bärbel Wit Peters (11) made his official gallery and art fair debut with SmithDavidson Gallery at KunstRAI Amsterdam.

What began as his first presentation within an established gallery context quickly gained international momentum. All available works at his gallery debut were acquired by private collectors in the Netherlands, London, Milan and New York, while his work attracted widespread national media attention.

This fall, SmithDavidson will present new work by Alf at PAN Amsterdam, from November 1 to 8. PAN has confirmed that Alf will be the youngest artist ever presented at the fair. One month later, his work will be presented at Art Miami, from December 1 to 6, during Miami Art Week.

These presentations mark the next step in an artistic practice that has developed rapidly in a short period of time, while Alf's way of working has remained as intuitive as ever.

Alf works entirely intuitively. He never decides in advance what he is going to make; lines, shapes and colors emerge spontaneously, guided by emotion, rhythm and movement. "I just start. Every line inspires the next."

His abstract, layered compositions create movement and emotion without relying on figurative representation. Viewers often describe his work as meditative and musical. This association is not coincidental: Alf is a pianist, and the cadence of music can be traced through the rhythmic construction of his lines and brushstrokes.

Although comparisons are often made to artists such as Kandinsky, Miró, Haring and Appel, Alf has developed a distinct visual language that does not rely on conceptual frameworks or theoretical premises. His work is about feeling and experiencing rather than explaining. As he puts it: "Sometimes I wish the whole world were made only of lines."

SmithDavidson Gallery first presented Alf at KunstRAI Amsterdam in 2026 and represents his autonomous artistic practice.

"Alf doesn't paint what he sees, but what he feels. His work emerges intuitively, without filters. Where the CoBrA artists searched for the unconscious and the inner child, Alf seems to access that source effortlessly. His paintings form a kaleidoscope of emotions in which structure and chaos coexist. Free from convention, untouched by traditional aesthetics: pure, direct and uninhibited," said gallerist David Smith.

Founded in 1969, SmithDavidson Gallery has locations in Amsterdam and Miami. The gallery presents modern and contemporary art and participates in international art fairs including Art Miami and PAN Amsterdam.

Alongside his autonomous practice, Alf works on a range of projects in which his visual language takes on a different scale, medium or context. For Moooi, he developed a carpet in which his characteristic linework was translated into textile and interior design. He created a six-meter mural for Wieden+Kennedy's Amsterdam office, transformed an entire hotel room into a site-specific artwork at De Groene Afslag, and collaborated with street artist NIETS.

Alf has led workshops for WeTransfer and the Maastricht Academy of Arts, sharing his intuitive approach to making art with participants and students. Most recently, he created the cover artwork for Suze Leonie's novel Staring at the Wall.

PAN Amsterdam, November 1 to 8, 2026, RAI Amsterdam, presented by SmithDavidson Gallery. Art Miami, December 1 to 6, 2026, Miami, Florida, presented by SmithDavidson Gallery.