Merel

About this artist

Biography

After an education in graphic design, Merel began working as a graphic artist. But she only found intense artistic happiness in the early 90s when she started painting. “I’m particularly fascinated by the creative-organic growth process that takes place when I stand in front of a canvas. I’m also always full of paint splatters, a characteristic feature of my intense bliss.”

One of Merel’s first major exhibitions was inspired by her Africa travels. These always resulted in a feast of colours dominated by diverse animals and landscapes. But gradually the personal feelings she experienced during her trips increasingly demanded their place. Animals became people, landscapes became abstract, and the works scored increasingly higher on the emotion ladder.

“I often paint a world the way I would like to see it”, Merel explains. “I find the earth a beautiful planet that we should all embrace more care-fully. The same applies to the way people treat one another. I’m looking for love, respect and connection. In the end we’re all stardust, born from the same big bang. So let’s treat each other that way. Because I love people very much.”

That extra love for one another and nature symbolises the desire for a ‘dream world’ that Merel cherishes. “Indeed, a universe in which I really enjoy living. That’s why I feel so happy and safe while painting.”