Fiona Lutjenhuis

1991 (NL)

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From a search for ‘a deeper shade of soul’, Fiona Lutjenhuis’s parents ended up with a Brabant sect called Malva in her early childhood. Their worldview was a curious mix of secret societies, UFOs, science fiction and esotericism. Although she later broke away from it, memories of it recur in her work, in paintings with a vision-like character. In her mysterious garden room, childhood memories take on a surprising artistic form, with folding screens full of alien masters, symbolism and dream images that immerse you in an alienating mix of nostalgia, humour and spiritual confusion.

Lutjenhuis processes this past with a sharp eye and a gentle hand. Sometimes she bakes edible bread sculptures, a fragrant reference to the security of her childhood. Her work raises big questions, but mostly invites to feel: is it comforting, disturbing, or both at the same time?