On each first Sunday of the month I write a blog post in Dutch. // 1 juli, de eerste zondag van de maand en dus een nieuwe aflevering van The Dutch Girl Tales. Zowel in Nederland als hier in Engeland belooft het kwik vandaag rond de 30 graden uit te komen. Voordat we massaal aan de waterijsjes gaan of op een andere manier verkoeling proberen te vinden, is hierbij een overzicht van mijn maand juni.
Do you also often leave exhibitions feeling inspired to make art afterwards? I’m no painter nor would I be able to draw a decent still life if my own life depended on it, but whenever I visit a collage or photography show, I cannot wait to get home to start making work myself. The same happened to me last week when I visited the show ‘The Shape of Light: 100 Years of Photography and Abstract Art’ at Tate Modern. This show was the inspiration for my new Instagram account, focussing solely on black and white photography.
In today’s post I want to share some of the witty artworks by Belgian stencil artist Jaune with you that I came across this week on and around Brick Lane – possibly the most famous destination in London for graffiti writers, street artists and urban art aficionados.
Following the sad death of Anthony Bourdain and many other celebrity suicide cases over the last years, I wanted to take a moment and dedicate some space on my website on the topic of depression. It’s far from a thoroughly researched article, but rather a direct response to Bourdain’s death written straight from the heart. Please read my thoughts in this blog post.
Ben jij een van die irritante mensen die al op jonge leeftijd wist wat je wilde worden? Het is je na die ene zin vast al heel duidelijk dat ik niet tot een van die mensen behoor. Nu ik (al bijna) groot ben, weet ik eigenlijk nog steeds niet wat ik ‘later’ worden wil. Onlangs had ik mijn jaarlijks terugkerend crisismoment waarop ik reflecteer op mijn leven en loopbaan. Hoe dat verliep, lees je hier.
What I love most about London is its rich history and the fact that some of the greatest historical figures have once called this city their home. Sometimes their former residences were quite extravagant, to say the least. In this post I’m sharing three of my favourite historical London homes with you that are far from any other house you have ever seen!
How far would you go to be able to work with someone you admire? Would you give up your own promising career in the spotlight only to disappear behind the scenes, without getting any credits despite the painful amount of blood, sweat and tears you put into your work? Meet actor Leon Vitali, he dedicated his life to the work of Stanley Kubrick and was his right-hand man for 20 years. Tony Zierra’s documentary ‘Filmworker’ tells the untold story of Vitali, the hidden figure behind one of the most celebrated directors in film history.
As I’m still recovering from my birthday party yesterday and am frankly too wrecked to come up with some inspiring blog post, I decided to share a little glimpse into my birthday weekend. Happy birthday to me!
This is my second monthly blog post in Dutch. // In mijn tweede Nederlandstalige blogpost sta ik stil bij de Dodenherdenking en Bevrijdingsdag. Waarom ik deze dagen zo belangrijk vind, lees je hier.
Currently on show at Simon Lee Gallery is ‘Misa Hylton-Brim’, the first solo London exhibition of New York-based artist Eric N Mack. I had to pleasure to share a house with him during our Robert Rauschenberg residency in Florida where I interviewed him about his work and practice.
When you read this, I’m en route from Athens to Amsterdam. This trip has been filled with ancient myths and fairy tales which made me wonder what the iconic tales and stories of the future will be. Will they include the Marvel films or Game of Thrones saga?
There are some exciting street art festivals happening in the next months all over Europe. Come see graffiti writers and street artists at work at these following events!
Why I Can’t Bear the Question “But Where Are You REALLY From?”
How often are you asked where you’re REALLY from? If I’d get a pound (or Euro) each time I was asked this, I would almost be able to afford a new iPhone with that money. Although by now I’m kind of used to that question, it really annoys and sometimes even hurts me. In this blog post I tell you why. (Click on the title to open the full post.)
De eerste Nederlandstalige blogpost van een maandelijks terugkerende serie over mijn leven hier in de UK, hoe het is om in het buitenland te wonen, maar ook over wat ik doe als ik weer in Nederland ben of wat ik zoal heb gedaan in de afgelopen maand. Een serie met een persoonlijk tintje dus.
Happy Sunday everybody! In case you wondered why it’s been so quiet on my blog for the last weeks, it’s because I was travelling around New Zealand. My body clock is still messed up and my head can’t seem to focus yet, so for now I’ll share some photos from my Instagram feed here with you. Enjoy!
