Hotel de Baak Seaside provides space for showcasing special exhibitions by contemporary artists. Together with the artist, we arrive at a common theme that connects the artworks, our location, and the learning processes that take place here. Currently, we have the exhibition 'Inner Wilderness' by artist Bob Mollema on display.
Roxy van Bemmel (1993) lives and works in Utrecht. She paints self-portraits that occupy space, so large that she never feels small again. From self-filmed video stills, van Bemmel creates digital collages that serve as reference material for her large colorful oil paintings.
Like a voyeur, she films her own movements. In this way, she can observe herself from angles that you normally cannot see. The images that carry a sense of movement are the starting point for Van Bemmel to continue working. These stills are converted into digital collages and form the basis for further paintings on canvas, which she builds up in various layers of oil paint and oil pastel.
"The core of my work is about occupying space. They are sensitive and personal portraits, and by working on a large scale, I literally occupy space. In the past, I often felt invisible, and by working on a large scale, I transcend the feeling of not daring to occupy space."
With some of her works, she has spent weeks, sometimes months, in her studio. Time thus plays a significant role. She herself is the basis of her personal portraits, which is sometimes confronting. But because she looks at a work for so long, the characters become detached from herself, and a softness emerges that embraces her as the creator.
Roxy van Bemmel wants the viewer to feel seen, not invisible, and thus be allowed to occupy space.
The exhibition is currently on display in the hotel. More information about the artworks can be found at https://www.roxyvanbemmel.com/. All artworks from the exhibition are for sale. Information about the prices can be found with the artworks themselves or at our front office.
