I remember as a child finding a studio portrait of my
Grandfather, there he stood in his sharp pressed suit
beside him a table laid out ready for afternoon tea, a
carriage clock and a bowl of country garden flowers.
Although I kind of liked the odd ensemble of mismatch
items and a man standing uncomfortably in what
seemed to be a ladies tea parlour I had no sense of
who my grandfather was. It was only from stories that
my mother and aunties told through smiles and tears,
together with boundless imaginings on my part, I could
make some sense of a man I never got to know. In the
painting Marjolein I wanted to recreate the studio portrait.
My studio portrait in which it is less about material
things and whatnots and more about the things that are
important to me. Marjolein is friendship, the frangipani
in her hair represents truth and honesty and Guto the
dog represents love. I guess it’s an escape to somewhere
good, somewhere nice albeit in my mind.
Giclee On Paper
18.5 x 14