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derek kaplan, art, impressionist, expressionist, abstract art, Zimbabwe artist, Africa, storms, New York, Los Angeles, Harare Zimbabwe, Derek Kaplan artist,

Born in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1975, Derek Kaplan is a self-taught, abstract artist now living and working in New York City. As a young boy growing up in Southern Africa, Derek was inspired by the colors and the natural beauty of the tropical grasslands that make up the African savanna. Rainfall was infrequent during the long dry season, but when it came, the clouds and storms that accompanied it inspired Derek's earliest paintings. Throughout his school years, Derek excelled at art and gained recognition by his teachers. In fact, his high school art teacher was so impressed with Derek's work that he encouraged him to advance his studies in art after high school, but Derek decided to pursue a more financially stable path. At the age of 21,...