program

Symbiosis

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Exhibition

Symbiosis
Sculptures and drawings

Brigitte Wawoe and Angel Luis de la Rosa González

 

Opening Saturday March 12

 

Symbiosis – Sculptures and drawings
Brigitte Wawoe and Angel Luis de la Rosa González are both sculptors. Brigitte is known to work with stone from the Tafelberg and Angel generally works with mahogany and wood from the wayaká tree. They met each other back in 2015 during an exhibition at Gallery Alma Blou. Brigitte initially approached Angel to help around her studio with the finishing of her sculptures and to help move heavy stones. Soon their work relationship evolved into an artistic collaboration. They started selecting stones together and exchanged ideas on what they see when looking at the shapes. After three years of closely working together, they felt it was time to show the result of their collaboration in SYMBIOSIS.
Check the digital catalogue here!

According to the dictionary Symbiosis stands for the interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both. For Brigitte and Angel this association also means growth, identification, and connection.

For Angel the experience of working alongside Brigitte made him step out of his comfort zone. As a figurative artist he generally imposes his ideas on primary materials. This time around however he immersed himself into the abstract, playful and fantasy world of Brigitte. During this creative process Angel integrated certain elements into the way he works. He feels that this experience allows him space to reflect on the object he is working on and to freely make adjustments. It is a more organic way of working, of allowing the primary material to reveal itself instead of imposing his ideas on it.

Taking into consideration their individual way of working, their gender, age gap and culture, it was quite an experience for both artists to see how art unites. The frequency with which they exchanged ideas revealed their common passion and pushed their commitment to create art together to a higher level.

Brigitte Wawoe
Brigitte was born in Heidelberg, Germany in 1939 and was trained at the art section of the Morley College in London and at the Vrije Academie in Den Haag. She lived in Curaçao from 1967 and moved to London in 1978. She now lives in The Netherlands but frequently returns to Curaçao to work. She has her sculpture studio at the industrial complex in Nieuwpoort. This hidden gem is tucked away on the east side of the Tafelberg at Fuik Bay. Here the Englishman John Godden started the phosphate mining company in 1875.
Brigitte has exhibited in various cities in the Netherlands and in Europe and has had numerous solo exhibitions and group exhibitions at Landhuis Bloemhof.

Angel Luis de la Rosa González
Angel was born in Santiago de Cuba in 1971. He comes from a family where both men and women were manually skilled. In 1983 Angel joined the Academia de Artes Plásticas José Joaquín Tejada and graduated as a sculpture and drawing teacher. He went on to work at Casa de Cultura in a town called Jiguani Granma. There his interaction with art and handcraft led him to discover how versatile the material of wood can be. In 1994 he returned to Santiago de Cuba and was an independent artist. Short thereafter he became president of Asociasion Cubana De Artesanos Artistas-ACAA. In 2009 he came to Curaçao, with a group of 5 artisans to work on the project of L'ALDEA, nowadays known as AMAZONIA, and stayed ever since.
In Curaçao he had 3 solo exhibitions at Gallery Alma Blou, participated in various group exhibitions and worked on various collaborations with other local artists.

 

 

Photography

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Exhibition


 

 

Photography
People – Nature – Architecture 

Bea Moedt, Brett Russel, Ellen Spijkstra, Henk Leue and Monique Harbers.

 

 

 

Opening Saturday February 5

 

We kick off the new year with a photography exhibition by Bea Moedt, Brett Russel, Ellen Spijkstra, Henk Leue and Monique Harbers. They will show photographs portraying people, nature and architecture. The exhibition opens on Saturday February 5 at 10:30 AM.

Bea Moedt
Bea Moedt has been living in Curaçao since 1993. The island inspired her to pick up the camera. With her photo’s she tries to capture emotions of people with utter precision. Bea is self-taught with a deep inner urge for perfection. She photographed events like the North Sea Jazz Festival for the press. Animals, nature and airplanes are some of her favorite topics. Bea published photo books and won various prizes for her work.

Brett Russel
Brett Russel was born in 1982 on the island of Curaçao. At 18 he moved to The Netherlands where he studied science in human movement. He’s a professional photographer since 2010 and is currently based in Curaçao. Brett started photography as a hobby, capturing just about anything like weddings, events and nature. Nowadays he works in advertising and is specialized in portraits and fine art photography. He finds inspiration in our local cultural scene, in music, like hip hop and jazz to contemporary art. His work is characterized by a balance of stylized conceptual photos with an accessible character. His work has been exhibited in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, Berlin & San Francisco.

Ellen Spijkstra
Photography has always been one of Ellen’s favorite hobbies. Her career as a professional photographer started by chance when she decided to submit a photograph for a contest in Curaçao in 1985 for which she won first prize. Prompted by this success she started to let others see her work. Ellen exhibited internationally and was selected for many private commissions. She decided to sharpen her photography skills and did just that at the New York Institute of Photography. She moved to Curaçao in 1980 after completing her studies as ceramist at the Minerva Academy of Fine Arts in Groningen, The Netherlands. Ellen has two passions and acareers: ceramics and photography.

Henk Leue
Henk’s interest in photography started in 1978 with a very simple camera and lens. He was living in The Netherlands at that time since 1966. He had acces to a dark room and would develop photo’s himself. In 1979 he returned to Curaçao where his passion for photography kept burning. He photographed many events and won various prizes. Henk enjoys capturing the wild nature and has a special love for country houses.

Monique Harbers
Monique Harbers takes underwater photos and loves shooting nature, ruins and architecture. Her work has been shown in many exhibitions, both in the Netherlands and Curaçao, including 2 solo exhibitions in the Netherlands; one in the muZEEum in Vlissingen and the other one at the Curaçaohuis in The Hague. In Curaçao, at the artists lounge of the Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival, amongst others. In 2005 and 2006 she decided to follow several photography courses at the Fotogram institute in Amsterdam. She lives and works on Curaçao since 2009 where she documents the beauty of the island with her camera.

Schots en Scheef

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Exhibition

Schots en Scheef
Group Exhibition

 

Opening Saturday December 4

 

The Schots en Scheef concept originated from a rebellious thought against traditional rules about art, the usual setup and layout of an exhibition and also against the way in which artists are used to present their work. By challenging artists as well as ourselves to step out of our comfort zones and letting go of what is, or how it should be, space is created to allow a freedom that was not there before.

Participating artists:
Alexine Tjon, Annemieke Dicke, Avantia Damberg, Bethyamin van Nieuwenhuizen, Carlos Better, Christian Peralta, Elodie Heloise, Esther Reyerse, Giovani Zanolino, Gwen Anderson, Heleen Cornet, Hilma Koelman, Kati Qui, Kemuel Sandries, Laica Leito, Lies Bruens, Margarita Haakmat, Marianne Cats, Mariette van Soesbergen, Marja Tukker, Marjon Wegman, Martie Genger, Merly Trappenberg, Mishenu Cicilia, Monique Harbers, Neeltje Timmers, Pito Polo, Ria Houwen, Rochelle Monte, Rose Ann Ignacio, Ruthson Cecilia, Sandra Lewis Nieuw, Tatiana Felix, Urwin Marcos, Vesuhely Americaan.

 

Out of the Woods

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Exhibition

 

 

Out of the Woods
Scupltors inspired by Bloemhof
Introducing Solaica Leito & Ruthson Cecilia

 

Opening Friday October 29
Exhibition until November 27

Landhuis Bloemhof is honored to introduce two new artists during the opening of ‘Out of the Woods’ on Friday October 29th at 7 PM. This marks the first exhibition for Solaica ‘Laica’ Leito (1970) and Ruthson Cecilia (1961) in which they will make their debut with wooden sculptures made out of local wood, imported wood and reclaimed antique wood whereby some are combined with stone, metal and paint.

Laica and Ruthson are no strangers to Landhuis Bloemhof. Laica has been working here for the past 7 years and Ruthson since 2 years. The journey to this exhibition was a personal and profound one for both of them.

Solaica ‘Laica’ Leito
Laica first encountered art when she started working at Landhuis Bloemhof. “I am a very curious person by nature, open to what life has to teach me. My love and appreciation for art was nurtured as I got exposed and experienced various expressions of art during the past years at Bloemhof”, says Laica.

The first seed of inspiration was planted in 2018 when she followed a workshop stone sculpting by sculptress Annie Clement. Since stone is a tough medium to find and transport, she didn’t continue, until 2019. Suddenly everything fell into place when she attended a workshop by wood sculptor Gwen Garcia. She became so fascinated with the medium that she soon started experimenting at home. The experience and know-how she cultivated during the workshop by Annie Clement just a year prior in combination with what she learned during the workshop with Gwen Garcia really pushed her to an explosive urge to create. During the first and second lockdown she emersed herself into creation.

Ruthson Cecilia
Art has always played a role in Ruthon’s life. “I have many ideas and I burst with creativity. I consider myself a ‘handy’ person. When I lived in The Netherlands I used to work with wood in my free time and I used to paint for my own pleasure. There was always a side of me that was hungry to share my creations with others. During the workshop with Gwen Garcia my inspiration to work with wood woke up again”, says Ruthson.

During lockdown Ruthson took the opportunity to start expressing himself creatively again and has since made many pieces.
Landhuis Bloemhof board member and art connoisseur Nicole Henriquez introduces the two artists in this video:

 

A pact
While Covid measurements became less strict and people were allowed back to work, Laica and Ruthson shared their experiences. To both their surprise they mentioned that they had been experimenting with wood. They shared their gained knowledge with one another and made a pact to continue creating in the hopes of one day exhibiting their work. Who could predict that this day would come so fast?

 Wooden sculptures
‘Out of the Woods’ shows an array of wooden sculptures, combining techniques in a most creative way while maintaining the natural structure that makes this medium so loved. Both artist have their own unique style in which they combine and work using various types of wood like pine wood, wood from local trees like medlar and Caribbean Jujube (appeldam), but also meranti and basralocus which are reclaimed from antique furniture. Ruthson combined his local wood with stone, metal and paint.

Together Laica and Ruthson have managed to create a diversified, creative and inspiring collection in a relatively short period of time

E Wega di Bida

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Exhibition

E Wega d Bida
The Game of Life

Mixed media paintings by Suzet Rosaria

Opening Saturday September 11
Exhibition till October 23

E Wega di Bida is an ode to the maturing process of life where self-development takes the forefront. “In the game of life you are the player and your opponent. You decide your next move, but you are also in charge of your reaction to it”, according to Rosaria.

Rosaria compares the game of life with the game of chess. The game of chess has dominant black and white colors. Symbolizing the extremes in life, the good and the bad in you and what lies in between.

For this exhibition, the artist used a variety of techniques, materials and vibrant Caribbean colors. With these materials she created textures to add depth and character to her work. With this, she wants to illustrate that each life path has several layers. Life is not always a smooth ride.

Apart from the repetitive theme of black and white checkered fields in her work she also plays with other recurring forms and (human and/or animal) figures. Each having a different meaning.

About the artist
Rosaria finished her studies at the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Beeldende Kunsten (The Netherlands) in 1993. Since 1990 she had various solo exhibition and took part in many group exhibitions in The Netherlands and Curaçao. Her work can be seen in homes, buildings, offices and private collections worldwide. Apart from being a visual artist Rosaria is also art teacher at the secondary school Maria Immaculata Lyceum. For some years now she has been designing carnival costumes for the teen parade for which she received the best designer award in 2019 and the best group overall award in 2020.

E Wega di Bida will show till October 23.
Please look at the Program Overview for workshop dates and activities.

Forma di mi Alma

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Exhibition

Forma di mi Alma - Shapes of my Soul
Mijn Ziel in Vormen
by Bettie Abbad van Lange.

 

 

Opening Saturday July 17
10.00 AM- 2.00 PM
Exhibition till August 28

Forma di mi Alma sheds light on the oeuvre of Bettie Abbad van Lange and consists of ceramic sculptures and objects, but also drawings and paintings from the 1960's until recent years. Her contribution to the development of Curaçao ceramic art in the second half of the last century is significant.

Opening Saturday July 17
Around 11.30 am on the opening day, art historian Josée Thissen-Rojer will hold an introduction and tell us more about the artist's work and life.

Forma di mi Alma
Bettie Abbad van Lange is a ceramist 'pur sang', with a passionate drive that pushes her towards perfection time and again. A final shape is not just a shape but represents the culmination of an inner quest that is brought to light through her hands. The materials, the shapes and the finishing with glazes and textures capture not only the process but also the story - or perhaps better - the message that this artist wants to share.
This exhibition shows work ranging from the 1960's to 2004 and gives an overview of the various journeys that Bettie has taken with her ceramics, paintings and drawings.

About Bettie Abbad van Lange
After her studies at the Academy of Fine Arts and Applied Arts St. Joost in Breda, the Netherlands, Bettie Abbad van Lange (1941) worked for five years at the prestigious Experimental Department of De Porceleyne Fles (Delft Blue) in Delft. In 1971 she moved to the Caribbean with her husband Dito Abbad. First they lived in Bonaire, then went to Curaçao where she set up her studio. She experimented a great deal with the structure(s) of clay, glaze recipes, and was a ceramics teacher at the Akademia di Arte, which had just opened.

Bettie Abbad van Lange exhibited throughout the Netherlands, in Germany and countless times in Curaçao (25 exhibitions in total). Her work has been acquired by the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam, the Porceleyne Fles in Delft, the 'Rijkscollectie' in The Hague, the Municipal Museum of Arnhem, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, and is also in private collections in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Curaçao, Venezuela, Aruba and Costa Rica. In Curaçao her work is also in corporate collections such as the Court of Justice, SVB and the Sint Elisabeth Gasthuis (our former hospital)

Pottery Nomad | Pixel Explorer

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Exhibition

POTTERY NOMAD
PIXEL EXPLORER

Haruko Greenberg
Mariette Arkenbout

Opening Saturday June 5
10.00 AM- 2.00 PM
Exhibition till July 10.

Haruko Greenberg and Mariëtte Arkenbout have a special position in our community as they are the spouses of the American consul general Allen Greenberg and the Dutch representative Erwin Arkenbout. These ‘spouses of’ also happen to be remarkable creative women who share their uniqueness through their art with others wherever they are -or rather wherever the jobs of their husbands take them.

Haruko Greenberg connects to where she is through clay. She literally discovers the new country by working with her hands creating pottery pieces as a personal salute to the place she has been welcomed to. The strong sun of Curaçao, colorful buildings of Willemstad, and beautiful nature of the island inspired her to make pottery with vibrant colors and natural texture. “My pottery is a sum of all the places where I lived and the experiences I have had there with people.  As I travel from one place to another, my creations have spread in various parts of the world.  What a joy and privilege to imagine my piece can be in someone’s hand, holding a warm cup of coffee, spending a happy little moment of someone’s life somewhere!”

With Mariëtte Arkenbout it's all about movement, light, and colors as they are caught on film and in photographs. She is a storyteller who no longer needs words. She uses images and works on them with a variety of techniques and materials to play out her story and see where it leads to. A sewing machine being one of her tools. This artist is a professional photographer who seems no longer interested in the final result of a picture. The end result for her is the starting point to explore and study the infinite possibilities of what could happen with a photograph or a still after its final version. “Exploring the visual world of images is my passion. Whereas I started my career in writing, sometimes taking pictures for magazines and street photography, I discovered that the storytelling fashion and dance world where your imagination can run wild was more my cup of tea. Usually, I choose a series of pics and start exploring. I use ribbons, paint, and a sewing machine to create my collages. “

MEET THE ARTISTS Di muraya pa muraya

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Event

Meet the Artists Di muraya pa muraya
Arte di muralista kontemporaneo
From wall to wall
Art by contemporary muralists

Saturday May 29
10.00 AM- 2.00 PM
Participating artists: Avantia Damberg, Francis Sling, Garrick Marchena, Jhomar Loaiza, Johanna Franco Zapata and Sander van Beusekom

You are cordially invited to come by and meet all six artists, have a chat, listen to what they have been up to and what is coming up next in their careers.
In the past years, especially the city center of Curaçao has seen a large number of murals appear on her walls.  They are expressions of a positive outlook. In addition to being bold and colorful, they convey a message to the viewer and empower the youth and neighborhoods, allowing everybody to see the hidden beauty of their own ‘bario’ with renewed hope.
Avantia Damberg, Francis Sling, Garrick Marchena, Jhomar Loaiza, Johanna Franco Zapata and Sander van Beusekom are some of the many muralists who contributed to this development on the island.
You can meet all six of them on this last day of the exhibition.

Sirkulo di Bida

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FUNDRAISING

Sírkulo di Bida
Buy Your Own Circle(s) of Life to support the Healthcare in Curacao

Landhuis Bloemhof and the Ronald McDonald House Foundation invite you to buy one of our Circles of Life to support the Healthcare on the island.

Over 75 volunteers created more than 100 Sírkulo di Bida (Circles of Life) with discarded materials used in the medical world, as part of a series of workshops given by artist Michèle Russel-Capriles during her exhibition Ban Serio! These Circles are going on sale to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House Foundation. This foundation is now helping out at the CMC by providing meals for personnel and staff who are working day and night, beyond the call of duty fighting Covid-19.

The Sírkulo di Bida workshops started out as a community art project. The original idea was to embellish the RMHC at CMC. Regretfully due to new regulations the project could not be completed as planned. Now the Circles will reach even more corners of the island and serve an urgent and beautiful cause.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN SIRKULO DI BIDA
Please scroll through our digital catalogue via this link to choose your favorite Sírkulo.

HOW TO ORDER
If you wish to purchase a circle, please

* Mail us via info@bloemhof.cw

*Mention: the number of the circle(s) you would like to purchase and the page number

* Your full contact information (name, surname, address, phone number)

* We will send you an email back to confirm your purchase, with further instructions for payment

* Pick-up or delivery will be possible after the lockdown

* Overseas shipping available upon request

 

No circle, just donate?

* Make a transfer to MCB Bank 16831208 and clearly state: donation Sírkulo di Bida

BONUS
The artist Michèle Russel-Capriles is willing to visit your home or office to make an art installation if you buy 5 or more circles and make an extra donation.

Catalogue Di muraya pa muraya

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Catalogue

Di muraya pa muraya
Arte di muralista kontemporaneo
From wall to wall
Art by contemporary muralists

Participants: Avantia Damberg, Francis Sling, Garrick Marchena, Jhomar Loaiza, Johanna Franco Zapata and Sander van Beusekom

Digital Catalogue
Enjoy our current exhibition by clicking on this link  Catalogue Di muraya pa muraya - Arte di muralista kontemporáneo.
Scroll through the catalogue to experience the diversity of their work from the comfort of your home.  See something you like? Contact us via info@bloemhof.cw.