Coming of Age
2022-2024
The series Coming of Age consists of square paintings measuring 165 x 165 cm. As the title suggests, the series explores the process of growing up. I started this series during a phase of major changes in my life and thought a lot about transitions and changes. The concept of being grounded (to be down-to-earth) was and still is central to me. The choice of the square format is deliberate, as the square, through its symmetry, represents a very static form. It has clear edges and corners, making it a stable structure. Nevertheless, each square contains a circle. The circle has no sharp edges or corners – it consists of an infinite number of points, all at the same distance from the centre. The circle represents movement and infinity. Each painting in the series deals in its own way with the transition from the square to the circle and vice versa. Sometimes it is a kind of tum-bling out, sometimes a rotating movement, sometimes a radiating outward. Sometimes the theme is treated narratively, as in the case of the kissing child-angels.