van beelen
visual
art
When I look around, I see not the rule but the exception. Not the whole but the deviation. In groups of people I mainly see the outsiders. Everyone wants to belong, but many people are excluded, in many situations and for all kinds of reasons. Such an exclusion can be observed on a small scale at the schoolyard, and extends to society at large as discrimination on the basis of colour, gender, age. Misfits and underdogs always have my attention.
I paint, make images from papier-mâché, embroider on old photos and often change techniques and materials to express my ideas. A recurring element in my work is a form of collage. I seek to combine things that don't belong together. This creates an image with an anomaly and yields a surprising effect. Preferably an image that you have never seen before and with a bit of luck also with humor.