ARTIST STATEMENT

My work is based on the research of landscapes, most often the landscapes I have a personal connection with. I see myself as an artist, designer and researcher with a focus on finding new colours, materials and methods in the field of natural dyeing of textiles.

In my work I am driven by intuition. I make sculptural pieces of textile that I turn into installations. These installations form new landscapes whereby my goal is to communicate my connection with the landscape to the viewer. An important part in my projects is trying to understand and connect with the landscapes I am working with, which I try to achieve by using field and embodied research. But also by working with slow processes and craftsmanship. In my visual language I combine geometrical and organic shapes to create an interesting contrast. Another important aspect of my work, both in my visual works as in my research, is repetition. Besides telling personal stories, I want to raise awareness about how we connect and take care of the landscapes we live in and address underappreciated materials, like silt for example, and give them a new value.

In my projects there is always an element of technical research about colour and natural dyeing of textiles. At the moment I am working on the project named ‘Klaaiklút’, which is about the area I grew up in, the North of the Netherlands, and about researching local materials like silt and clay, how to dye with them and what colours they produce.