Resume
It is not obvious that I became a visual artist. I used to have nothing to do with art. I studied at the agricultural university, became a policy officer, was concerned with agriculture, nature, spatial policy, international trade, fair trade, and was in my element. Until I got a burn out, was out for a long time, slowly recovered, and discovered my creative side. I made sculptures in aeretic concrete, later soapstone and then discovered wood. I noticed that being creative gave me energy, instead of taking energy.
From 2012 to 2015 I followed the ‘visual route’ of the Utrecht Center for the Arts, in 2015 the Autobiographical Work course by Stephanie Jansen / Storing AUB and from 2016 to 2018 several years of Monumental Art at the Arendonk Academy in Belgium. It challenged me to new work forms and materials, to a more planned and conceptual approach. In essence, my creative work remains a quest; in the wood, in nature, for forms and arrangements that suit me, to new ways of expressing my ideas.
Since my first exhibition in 2009, I’ve had many exhibitions. From participating in an art route to the Calcutta biennial, from a land art installation in Diessen to a light installation in the United States. In between, my creation the Wanderer walked through the Netherlands with the poem KOM by Marion Steur. This latest creation was nominated for the Art & Poetry Prize in 2010, and was awarded the ‘De Verwondering’ prize. In 2014 I won a third prize with the installation Barts world at the competition of the Art route Lochem. With Marion Steur in 2017 I published the image poetry bundle ‘Voel maar. Gesproken hout’.
The core of my activities is shifting from sculpture to location-specific installations and now also my ‘Reflections’. With sculpting as a wonderfully relaxing change.
I am a member of Sculpture Network, Artist in Nature International Network (AININ) en YATOOi.
Selection of exhibitions
Vormgevers in Hout, Bunnik (2009, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2019); LekArt, Culemborg (2012); Beelden in Gees, Gees (2013); Kunstschouw, Schouwen Duiveland (2013, 2018); Stedelijk Museum Vianen (2014); International Calcutta Art Biennale, Calcutta, India (2015); Olympos International Art Workshop, Olympos, Turkije (2015); Kunstroutes Lochem, Beemster (2013 – 2023), SheArt Gallery (2018), Kunstmaand Ameland (2018), Grensloos Kunst Verkennen (2019); ‘Mirrors’, Sille Gallery (2020); solo show ‘Twilight worlds’ in CHV Noordkade, Veghel (2021), Kunst10daagse Bergen (2021, 2023), ‘Less is more’, Dutch Design Hotel Artemis, Amsterdam (2024)
Assignments
Global Impact Awards – houtsculpturen voor Nudge (2017, 2018, 2019, 2023); EoWeijers prijs, awards (2020, 2023)
Installations:
Landart Diessen (2013, 2014); Kunst en bomen, Oisterwijk (2014); Kunst in Duin, Keukenhof Castle, Lisse (2014); East Meets West, Art is closing the gap. The Haegeumgang Theme Museum and Art Gallery, Geoje, and other locations, South-Korea (2015 en 2016); Opkloppudding, Honig fabriek, Zaandam (2015); Kunstenlandschap, Lonneker (2016); Kunst aan het Water, Balk (2016); LekArt, Culemborg (2016); KunstKijk Goeree Overflakkee (2017), Kunst in de Heemtuin (2018), Once in the Wetlands (2018), Kasteel d’Aspremont Lynden, Oud-Rekem (2018), kunstmaand Ameland (2018), KunstWandelRoute Hummelo (2019), International Land Art Maastricht (2019), Boven de Kronen, Culemborg, Twingi Landart, Binntal, Zwitserland (2019), Grensloos Kunstverkennen, De Wijk (2019); Dan liever de lucht in, Grote kerk Culemborg (2021); solo show Twilight Worlds in CHV Noordkade, Veghel (2021); Sporen, Ypres Belgium (2022); Landart Beijlshof, Heythuysen, (2022), Nature Art, Halle Belgium, (2023), Dear 2050 Entangled Forests, Bern and other cities, Switzerland (2023, 2024), Flower Art Museum, Aalsmeer (2024)
Light installations:
Scheveningen Light Walk (2016, 2017, 2019; 2022; 2023); KUNA-festival (2017, 2018, 2019); Fjoertoer Terschelling, Renesse, Egmond (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023); Winterlicht, Schiedam (2017, 2022), Oranjewoudfestival (2018, 2023); GLEAM, art in a new light, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Madison, Wisconsin USA (2018), Glasrijk Tubbergen (2018), Engbergen in Lichterlaaie (2019), Zandvoort Light Walk (2020), Galerie Art Engert, Eschweiler, Germany (2021), City of Light festival, Jyväskylä, Finland (2022), Kunstlicht Gouda (2023), Murten Lichtfestival, Murten, Switzerland (2024).