The Formative Years and the Shadow of War Born in Rotterdam, Abe Kuipers moved to Groningen as a young boy following the death of his father. His path toward the arts began in the classrooms of the Kunstnijverheidsschool, where he studied until 1940. The onset of the German occupation brought profound uncertainty to his life. To avoid forced labor in Germany, he sought refuge in the Noordoostpolder, digging trenches to secure a place o…