Philip Akkerman paints exclusively self-portraits, five days a week from 9 to 5, almost forty years now. He uses the technique of the Old Masters, following three steps: first a drawing, then the division of dark and light in monochrome and at last the colours are added. The technique is always the same, just as the subject. Aside from that, Akkerman work intuitively. He does 'whatever feels good'. Who thinks that his self-portraits are only about 'Philip Akkerman', is wrong. Akkerman is not interested in himself. He says: 'Being is a blind force, who can show himself through the existence of the human being. It is the purpose of our being: looking the existence in the eyes and that's what I paint.'