Nanette Heijen
I am Nanette Heijnen
I was born in Haarlem in 1967 and trained as a Graphic Designer at the Amsterdam Graphic School. Besides my work I started sculpting and painting, developing myself by following courses and workshops with various established artists in Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Bergen. Painting eventually turned out to be my greatest passion. Painting puts me in a trance and my works make a difference. My canvases are allowed to radiate power and often evoke wonder. I prefer to paint in a limited color palette.
In addition to many free work and private commissions, I participated in the popular television program "Sterren op het Doek" in May 2021. I painted a large portrait of the well-known presenter Philip Freriks. That same year I received a commission from the Municipality of Bergen to create a suitable painting for a new public space. That became "Het meisje van de Toekomst" (The girl of the future) a canvas of 150 x 100 cm. At the end of April 2023, a 3-dimentional work by my hand could be seen on a float of the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek. The work is titled "People of the World" and is applied to a giant plastic flower bulb with a circumference of 6 meters. The work will find its final destination this year as a "landmark" in the art-cycling route between Haarlem and Leiden.
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My vision
All my works begin with the artisanal preparation of the canvas as it was done in the past. This increases the durability and stability of the final result. This also provides more opportunities to work in mixed media. In the series "Outlines," this is expressed through the cords incorporated into the canvas.
A work is successful for me if it makes people think or if they recognize something in it. Art should be narrative and have a "soul." It must evoke an emotion. Once people have seen a work, it should not let them go.
About my work
As a visual artist, my senses are always on edge, the world is my inspiration. I like to paint portraits and nudes and look for the deeper layers of the person. To that aspect that makes the person who he or she is. I usually work from thin to thick but I can also work quite pasty and set up the canvas almost 'alla prima' to preserve spontaneity and imperfection. By keeping the background simple and almost empty the attention goes completely to the scene. The smooth touch and a subdued use of color are characteristic of my works.
Relation to the d.&a Expo
My exhibited series of works is entitled "Outlines." The title symbolizes the physical and mental development process we humans go through. The outlines of our existence are always only a snapshot. The person moves on. Enters another phase, another psyche, another physical. But what he was remains indelible and visible in my works through relief.
