ARTIST BIO
Ellen Holleman is a Dutch multidisciplinary artist and spatial designer. What drives her is curiosity about how people live and move about and how this is affected by the urban environment.
With an eye for quotidian, urban scenes Holleman aims to create works that capture the beauty of the human experience.
After graduating from Art School, Holleman worked as a muralist in Cancún’s Mexico Mágico theme park where she fell in love with painting and the transformative power of colours. After the park’s closure, she returned to the Netherlands and during the following 25+ years, she worked mainly as a spatial designer on urban planning projects. Besides her work as an urban design professional, she completed several applied art projects, worked as a cultural producer and initiated multiple grass roots urban projects.
In 2020, Holleman restarted a professional painting practice, shifting her career towards the arts. Since 2021, she has been working in a studio in Zaltbommel, where she participated in a group show in the St. Maartens basilica and had her first solo exhibition. In 2022, Holleman's works were featured in an augmented reality pavilion with ArtInside Gallery and an online solo exhibition. Her works were published in issue #5 of The Huts Magazine and featured in Cista Art Gallery’s ‘Life as a Poem’ group exhibition. In September 2022, Holleman had her second solo exhibition in Zaltbommel and participated in the International Artes Exhibition in Turin, Italy, where she was awarded third prize in the figurative paintings section. In 2023 her works were published in Arts to Hearts Magazine #2, curated by Marina Granger, she exhibited at Kunstschouw 2023, the EuropArtFair Amsterdam and ended up as one of the finalists in the Women United Artprize 2023. Holleman is a directory artist with Art Mums United and the Art Queens.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My art is a mindful exploration of the urban landscape, capturing its people, places, and moments. Drawing inspiration from the complexity and beauty of our modern world, I create visual narratives that invite viewers to immerse themselves in the scene. Combining techniques from the Dutch painters of the 17th century with my contemporary perspective, I apply a "paint filter" to see the world through, capturing its essence on canvas. By layering transparent colours over a white gesso base, I achieve a luminous and evocative effect, infusing my paintings with depth and richness.
I strive to make viewers feel like active participants in the experience, leaving a lasting impression. I draw upon the oil painting techniques of the old Dutch Masters did, to build images with multiple layers of transparent colours and thus create the illusion of depth and intense colour sensations. My subjects often revolve around ordinary, daily life, observing people in their environments. Through my artworks, I aim to spark a quiet energy or emotion that resonates universally, capturing a specific person in a particular place and time.
A recurring theme in my work explores the contrast between human life and desolate urban landscapes, reflecting on the mutual influence between people and their surroundings. It addresses and questions the way we construct our cities and societies, revealing the inequalities and existential solitude experienced by many. Simultaneously, it portrays the intimacy that some individuals can cultivate anywhere, while highlighting my compassion for those who lack resilience in such environments. Through my art, I aim to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation for the world we inhabit, inviting viewers to explore and connect with their environment.
Zaltbommel / The Netherlands
