Driven by an ongoing fascination with the world, I create paintings and drawings exploring the human condition – in particular our use of language – in comparison to that of other animals. Results are layered images and textworks – textual interventions on existing printed matter.
In the work process self-imposed rules alternate with anarchy. Disruptions and randomness are welcomed as creative conditions.
The textworks transform the time of reading into the space of looking. By working directly on newspapers, magazines and books, I draw on the authority and materiality of language and image. Texts become sites of meditation, investigation and transformation, where latent structures come to the surface and alternative interpretations take shape. In some cases, the textworks are retranslated into time-based media such as music, performance, and video. For these projects, I greatly enjoy collaborating with others.
In the drawings and paintings, the trajectory is reversed: Image becomes language in a working process that unfolds over time. The fluidity of Chinese ink, egg tempera and watercolour leads to unpredictable patterns that are deployed to generate new meanings.
My work has been widely shown in Spain, the Netherlands and other countries, in both solo and group exhibitions, including at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the MACBA Study Center, and La Virreina Centre de la Imatge in Barcelona.
Teaching forms an integral part of my artistic practice. I teach drawing and painting with an emphasis on observation, imagination, and critical reflection. Since 2015, I teach painting at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague, as well as group- and private lessons in my studio. I have also taught at Escola Massana in Barcelona and have given workshops and guest lectures at the Willem de Kooning Academy and Xiamen University in China.
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