During Art Antwerp 2024, we present a solo booth with work by Dutch artist and Rijksakademie alumnus Fiona Lutjenhuis (1991).
At the fair, we present a new series of her signature room dividers filled with her haunting fantasy world. A world that is spiritual, dreamy, sometimes humorous, but also grim. Inspired by religious triptychs, they offer a version of paradise that begins recognisably, for example with an image of Mary or the lamentation of Christ. She then introduces other customs, such as the tradition of dressing up on days on the border between life and death (dia de la muerta, Halloween), depicting plants and flowers associated with death and then moving into occult symbols like crop circles and UFOs and personal memories.
These room screens are complemented by a series of drawings that respond to the screens in visual language. A wind chime can also be seen and heard, referring to the esoteric. Together with a handmade scent, especially created for the presentation, this offers an overall concept that takes you into the artist's world.
Fiona Lutjenhuis’ work moves from installations to artist books and from commissioned works to self initiated projects. Her speculative imagery fits perfectly in the contemporary discourse on a post positivist society. In every image we can feel the humour and courage to dive into worlds without strongholds.
Being raised in a cult she grew up with ideas about the world completely different from her contemporaries. Leaving her family quite young she gradually came to terms with this upbringing and found a way to take it on as a topic. In a sense you could say she’s ahead of a lot of us in being intimate with convictions very alien to common knowledge. Secret societies, mixtures of sci-fi and esoterism, beings form other planets interfering with our world, she heard it all as a child and developed a strong autonomous rationality to balance it.
The apocalypse as told by my father. The condemned are left and not to be taken by the aliens. The aliens will save only the enlightened from a sunflair that burns the surface of this earth. A biblical angel appears as butterfly wings. Cave drawings are all that is left of us. It was told that it would happen within 5 years, but it never did.
A Family portrait. A depiction of a dream with my sisters and a scene of my parents watching the eclipse in our backyard. The room with my sisters is filled with Bonsai Trees that are growing while we look at the mudras on the dinner table.
Daddy Long Legs And The Web (of lies) is about my father telling stories about the secrets of the forest, including a self portrait with my father and mother. And my birds, Pikachuu and Willy.
Fiona Lutjenhuis (1991, Zevenaar, NL)
Education
—— BA Fine Art, ArtEZ Institute of the Arts, Arnhem, The Netherlands (2010 – 2014)
Recidency
—— Rijksakademie Van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam (2022-2024)
Stipendia/scholarships
—— Van Bijleveltstichting, Fellowship (2023-2024)
—— Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds (2022-2023)
—— Corona Bridging Grant for Artists, Curators, Researchers (2021)
—— Young Talent Stipend Mondrian Fund (2018)
Collections
—— Museum Krona, Uden
—— Museum Helmond, Helmond
—— Schunck Glaspaleis, Heerlen
—— Provinciehuis Gelderland, Arnhem
Publications
—— 'Sideways Universe', printed by Terry Bleu, Amsterdam, 2023 (self published in commision by Schunck, Heerlen)
—— 'TEMPLES FOR THE UNBELIEVABLE', published and printed by Terry Blue, Amsterdam (2021)
—— 'THE GOLDEN HOUR', graphic novel, (2021) (self published)
—— 'THE THREE MAN', graphic novel, (2017) (self published)
Murals
—— 'Church Wear', Open Studio’s, Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam (2023)
—— 'Sideways Universe', SCHUNCK Glaspaleis, Heerlen (2023-2025)
—— Nest/Down the Rabbit Hole, Lowlands site, Arcadia (2022-2023)
—— 'FUTURA FANTASTICA', Collaboration with Gijs Frieling, Provinciehuis, Arnhem (2021)
—— 'HEELS FOR WHEELS AND A CAN OPENER IN A CAN', Derde Wal, Muur voor Talent, Nijmegen (2020)
Exhibitions
—— Solo Exhibition, 1646, Den Haag (2024 - 2025)
—— ‘Het Museum van het Alsof’, Group exhibition, 38CC, Delft (2024)
—— De Scheffer nominations, Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht (2024)
—— Open Studio’s, Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten (2024)
—— Unfair23, Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam (2023)
—— Groupexhibition and commision 'Aan de rand van de hemel: Visioenen', Museum Krona, Uden (2023)
—— Group exhibition 'Herbarium',Plaatsmaken, Arnhem (2023)
—— Group Exhibition Summerschool, VROOM, Brussels (2023)
—— Open Studio’s, Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam (2023)
—— Pop-up exhibition LithoXXL, Nederlands steendrukmuseum, Valkenswaard (2022)
—— Editions, Unfair, Westergas Amsterdam (2022)
—— Outdoor installation, Hommelseweg Arnhem, commissioned by Plaatsmaken (2022)
—— Book Launch 'Temples For The Unbelievable', published by Terry Blue, Quintal Atelier, Offprint, Paris (2021)
—— Book Launch 'THE GOLDEN HOUR', Terry Bleu, Amsterdam (2021)
—— Book Launch 'THE GOLDEN HOUR', PARELS, Arnhem (2021)
—— Group exhibition 'To Riso Or Not’, TAC, Eindhoven (2021)
—— Group exhibition 'In Believe is Power', Expoplu (2020)
—— Prospects and Concepts, Art Rotterdam (2020)
—— Kunst op de koffie #5, Arnhem (2019)
—— Group exhibition 'FAITH MONEY LOVE', Arnhem (2017)
—— Group exhibition 'The Painted Bird, Dreams and Nightmares of Europe', Marres, Maastricht (2017) Short Residency
—— Herbarium, Plaatsmaken, Arnhem (2023)
—— Summerschool, VROOM, Brussels (2023)
—— Litho XXL, Make Eindhoven & Steendrukmuseum, Eindhoven Valkenswaard (2021)
—— Wobby Workout #1, Tilburg (2021)
—— To Riso Or Not, Wobby & Make Eindhoven (2020)
—— Artoll, Bedburg-Hau, Kleve, Germany (2013)
Other
—— Guest teacher Aki (ArtEZ), Enschede (2023)
—— Stadsarchief Amsterdam, tekenopdracht ‘Levensvatbare stad’ period Februari-August (2023)
—— Winterlab, Guest teacher ArtEZ, Zwolle (2021)
—— Illustrations Extra Extra Radio, in Collaboration with NTS Londen (2020-2022)
—— Arnhemse Nieuwe, presentation showroom Arnhem, Ontwerp Platform Arnhem and O-P-A, (2018)