For many people, art is a distant and unattainable concept. While working as a museum curator, I realised how the art world often remains an integral part of high society, far removed from most people’s everyday lives. I wanted to change that by giving art a prominent place in the daily lives of those around me. Thus, the ‘Postcards from Australia’ project was born. During my Working Holiday, I send postcards featuring watercolours and poems from Australia to Europe. By using art as a means of communication, I integrate it into the everyday.
Urban Dreams, Sydney 2023
I chose the banality of postcards because they are intimate and personal. Communication is inherent to postcards, making them automatic carriers of emotions and meaning, connecting people across time and distance.
The inspiration and themes for my artworks range from natural landscapes to challenges on the road and people I have met. My background as a historian often guides my choice of subjects. Most works revolve around connection: with the land, the past, different communities, colleagues, those left behind, family, or even connection to the metaphysical.
Opera House, Sydney 2023
It has been years since I worked with watercolours, but this medium is currently the most practical due to its compactness. I start each card with light blue lines, which I fill in with colours and details. Some cards are finished with a black pen for finer details. Once the image is complete, I begin brainstorming words and phrases for the accompanying poem. I then write these, along with a personal message, on the card and send it off.
Sending postcards from the Australian Outback to Europe can sometimes take over a month. It feels like I am sending art through time, with the letterbox acting as a time machine. Sometimes, I hand-deliver the cards. The responses I received have been consistently heartwarming. I have received incredibly kind texts, phone calls, and even an artwork in response to my cards.
Ultimately, I hope to compile the cards and poems into a beautiful book, which I dream of presenting at an exhibition alongside photos and other art created during my journey.
Sinkhole, Mount Gambier 2024
The ‘Postcards from Australia’ project is a way to share my journey through Australia with my loved ones in a meaningful way. Through these cards, I hope to connect people: with Australia, with me, with art, and with each other. Your support can make this exhibition and book a reality. If you would like to help, you can buy me a coffee via this link. Thank you for reading, and I will keep you updated on my artistic adventure.
If you enjoy my work and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee via this link: Buy Me A Coffee. Your support is greatly appreciated!
On Saturday, September 9th, and Sunday, September 10th, 2023, I held an exhibition at the SooS titled ‘Global Village.’ In this exhibition, I displayed twelve canvas works created around the theme of village life in times of globalization. In this exhibition, I consistently juxtaposed two paintings: one depicting the perspective from within and the other offering an external perspective. You can read about my exhibition in the news on WeertDeGekste. Following this physical exhibition, I decided to make the series digitally accessible for those who couldn’t attend in person and other interested individuals. Below, you’ll find the six themes, each accompanied by two works, along with the texts that were also displayed in the physical exhibition space. I hope you enjoy exploring them.
Borders
Borders are imaginary; they are an expression of our collective imagination. A border exists on paper, through symbols, and in our language. They have a significant impact on our perception of the world. These two works are based on the aerial view of Europe and Tungelroy, respectively. Both paintings explore the relationship between abstract borders, memory, and meaning.
The Abstract Concept of Europe
‘The abstract concept of Europe’ was created immediately after my Erasmus experience in Glasgow. The style was inspired by Kandinsky. The artwork was created with memories of the Erasmus period in mind. Not only my personal life, such as relationships and friendships that were formed and experienced during that time but also the context in which the Erasmus period took place, inspired me to create an abstract visualization of my four months abroad. It was the period when the United Kingdom officially left the European Union. The work is abstract because the whole idea of Europe, the European Union, and European identity is abstract.
Created: 2020
Materials: Acrylic
Dimensions: 60 x 80 cm
Memories
‘Memories’ is inspired by my hometown, Tungelroy. In a surreal manner, this work connects memories from my youth with their geographical locations. Nights out, fanfare rehearsals, walks, bike rides—they all find their place in this painting. The village is layered in time, where history and the present intersect. This gives the painting its depth.
Created: 2022
Materials: Acrylic, Oil paint
Dimensions: 60 x 80 cm
Monuments
A village is recognizable by its mill, church tower, school, playgrounds, and parks. Buildings form the core of a residential area and reveal the structure of a village. In Tungelroy, the church tower still dominates the streetscape. The church follows the Christian feasts season after season. Birth, love, and death follow one another. There’s something natural about this cyclical life but beware. The walls have eyes, and people ask questions. It’s not mentally easy to be ‘different’ when everything is supposed to follow its supposed natural course.
Tranquility
‘Tranquility’ represents the calm and peace that the village offers. The feeling of safety. You know what to expect. You stand in the middle of nature and follow the historical path laid out by the community. Traditions are beautiful and should be preserved. The village offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Village life is a dream.
Created: 2022
Materials: Acrylic, Oil paint
Dimensions: 40 x 30 cm
Skyline T-Roy
‘Skyline T-Roy’ questions the natural cyclical thinking. The work follows the weather cycle from left to right, from good to bad. During this journey, the viewer encounters financial pressure, time pressure, the pressure of traditions, and the pressure of the village community.
Created: 2023
Materials: Acrylic, Oil paint
Dimensions: 120 x 30 cm
The circle of life
Is a closed ring
The ring is ticking
Like an index finger
The finger of the neighbour
Points at the concrete wall
The walls have ears
And the houses have eyes
The working-class hero
The passing of the year
The couch in front of the TV
Are you really here?
Humans
Creating a portrait of a person is difficult. If you create a photorealistic portrait, you miss the nuances and inner beauty. If you create an abstract portrait, no one sees the body language and appearance. Nevertheless, within this series, I opted for the abstract option. These two portraits symbolize two people from my village. On one side, a true Limburg Lady, who is rooted in the existing customs and traditions of the village. On the other hand, a true global citizen, who is open to self-examination and reinvention.
MK
‘MK’ symbolizes a genuine Limburg Maedje. Like the Tungelroyse Beek, she is inseparably connected to the place. The village is an integral part of her, and she is an integral part of the village. Without one, the other would lose its meaning.
Created: 2023
Materials: Acrylic, Oil paint
Dimensions: 120 x 90 cm
KH
‘KH’ represents an artistic open personality. Adventure, exploration, and openness are keywords in her life. She ventures out from time to time to enrich the village with her new knowledge and ideas.
Created: 2022
Materials: Acrylic, Oil paint
Dimensions: 120 x 90 cm
Language
Language says something about who you are and how you want to present yourself. Thus, language is an important carrier of identity. Limburgers see the Limburgish language and expressions as something unique, and in a way, it is. Every locality has its own variations in dialect. Dich, diech, du: you can hear it all here. The use of language and the social meanings of language exist worldwide. Everyone uses language to set themselves apart from others and join a specific group. These languages together form the languages of the world. Together, we are the world.
Limburgs
‘Limburgs’ is a layered mixed-media work. In a self-made alphabet inspired by melodic musical notes, you can read a decade’s worth of quotes from my good Limburgish friends. Maps of linguistic research on Limburgish dominate the work. Two centuries ago, Limburgish was not seen as a language. During that time, scientists and historians actively worked to give the province its language and identity. This eventually gave rise to our complex Limburgish identity. And the fish? That’s the Limburgish language, swimming between Dutch, German, and French.
Created: 2023
Materials: Print, Oil paint
Dimensions: 50 x 50 cm
Languages
‘Languages’ is a mixed-media work created using AI, Photoshop, oil paint, and, most importantly, quotes from friends and acquaintances from all over the world. For this work, I asked more than fifty people to send in their favourite sayings and quotes. Afrikaans, Arabic, Russian, Norwegian, Hindi—it’s all there. Together, we form the water in which all languages can swim. Together, we are the languages of the world.
Created: 2023
Materials: Print, Marker, Oil paint
Dimensions: 50 x 50 cm
Carnaval
Limburgers look forward to it all year: carnival. Fortunately, we have to wait less and less before we can celebrate the carnival. Nowadays, the entire year is filled with afterparties and summer carnivals. The Carnival tradition has historical roots, although modern celebrations are relatively new. It wasn’t until after World War II that Carnival evolved into what we know today. Nevertheless, we hold firmly to the traditions and customs that our grandparents devised. Why?
Prince Carnaval
‘Prince Carnaval’ is an abstract work that showcases the multiple facets of carnival. Everything is chaotic and wild, fun and musical. Everyone participates, and everyone can be who they want to be. During the carnival, the world turns upside down for a while. Isn’t that delightful!
Created: 2023
Materials: Oil paint
Dimensions: 40 x 30 cm
Princess Carnaval
‘Princess Carnaval’ is a work depicting an imaginary black Islamic woman wearing a carnival hat. The foundations of the Limburgish carnival stem from the Catholic tradition and the 19th-century Rhineland Carnival. Consequently, there was no place for non-Catholics and women for a long time. Nowadays, many associations are letting go of this mindset, and they view carnival as a celebration of the locality, of Limburg, and of the South. Nevertheless, we still see very few carnival princesses who reign alone. Should we hold on to our traditions?
Created: 2023
Materials: Oil paint
Dimensions: 40 x 30 cm
De Fight between Utopia and Nostalgia
This series of paintings consists of opposites: global or local, worldly or rural, chaos or tranquillity, conservative or progressive. In ‘The Struggle between Utopia and Nostalgia,’ I question this way of thinking. The work is based on ‘The Fight between Carnival and Lent’ by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, painted in 1559. Just like Carnival and Lent at that time, ideas about the past and future clash in our time. Utopia is a dream of the future, often accompanied by a deep-seated discontent with the present. Nostalgia is a feeling but also a carefully constructed image of what once was and will never return (or, in other words, a deep-seated discontent with the present). I would like to challenge the viewer to look beyond the struggle. It is, in fact, a struggle deeply rooted in our minds. But that struggle is an illusion. An illusion with profound consequences.
Created: 2023
Materials: Marker, Oil paint
Dimensions: 140 x 90 cm (2x 70 x 45 cm)
Conclusion
Thank you for visiting my online exhibition. If you have any questions, I am always available to answer them. You can find my contact information on the website.
In this blog post, I will explain the background of my two recent works, ‘Limburgish’ and ‘Languages’. These works have been created through historical research, the use of modern technology and dozens of quotes from distant and close friends. Using these tools, I investigate the relationship between language and identity. I would like to thank everyone for their contribution to this work.
‘Limburgish’ is a piece that delves into the construction of the Limburgish language. Before the Limburgish province or the Dutch nation existed, no one called Limburg Limburg. Therefore, no one acknowledged the Limburgish language. However, after the construction of the Dutch nation, people began to construct a Limburgish identity, and with it, a Limburgish language. In the mixed media piece, I used old maps found in linguistic research to map out the Limburgish language. It was fascinating to see how the language was constructed and began to resemble more and more the boundaries of the provinces of Limburg over time. I also incorporated research on the tonality and pronunciation of the language, as well as local Limburgish dictionaries.
In addition to these historical elements, I created my own font for the piece. The font uses music-note-inspired letters arranged on empty sheet music. Using these letters, I wrote quotes that my close group of Limburgish friends have said over the past decade. The quotes added a personal touch to the piece, and the music-note-inspired font represented the musicality of the language.
One of the most prominent features of ‘Limburgish’ is the fish shape in the outlines of the two Limburgs. The fish represents the in-between nature of Limburg, a region that lies on the border between Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. Just as the fish swims between the water, the Limburgish language can be seen as a mix between Dutch and German, with influences from French (and recently English) as well. The fish symbol will continue to appear in my future works as a symbol of Limburgish identity.
‘Languages’ is another mixed media piece that explores the fluidity of language and its democratic nature. The piece is a mix of printed media, oil paint and marker. I created several poems based on a mind map. I then used AI to turn these poems into prompts and used AI Image Creators to create around twenty images. These laid the fundaments for the rest of the work.
The central elements of ‘Languages’ is the use of water and fire. In the water ripples, one can read various quotes that I collected from my international friends. These quotes represent the diverse and dynamic nature of language – the beauty of language. The fire in the middle represents the powerful force behind languages. Language has the ability to create, destroy, and transform. Just like the Big Bang, language is sudden but unfolds over time.
Some examples of the quotes people sent me:
мир = peace
сонейка = sun, you can also call a person you love/care about this way
Megszentségteleníthetetlenségeskedésetekért
u har du skitit i det blå skåpet = now you have taken a shit in the blue cupboard
Kaalekaffi = cold coffee
Patate = Potato (Wallonian French)
قل خيرا أو أصمت. = speak good or remain silent
जिंदगी सस्ती है साहब, जीने के तरीके महंगे हैं। = life is cheap, it’s the way we live that’s expensive
‘Limburgish’ and ‘Languages’ entwine because, with the use of this symbolism, Limburgish is like a fish in water (an idiom in Dutch similar to the English idiom ‘like a duck to water’). Limburgish is part of a bigger whole, the everchanging totality of languages.
These works are part of a bigger series called ‘Village Life’. This series will examine the effects on the village by globalisation and will consist of six times two works. Each set of paintings will contradict each other’s meanings and create friction. I am planning to hold an exhibition with these works in the summer of 2023.
