ArtMeant* Project

Who is Tanja van Wijk? How did your artistic journey begin?

“Art is a dialogue between the painting and the inner world of the beholder.” I am a Dutch Artist bases in Switzerland. I have a background in fashion, studied at the Amsterdam fashion Institute.

In 2009 I started my own business as a (fashion) print designer. Back to creating from the heart and drawing by hand again was fulfilling. I got to work at al sorts of wonderful and different kind of projects. In 2018 I embarked on a new path and signed me up for a 3 year course, “Professional Communication”. At first it looked like a total different direction but it got me closer to myself and made me look differently, not only at myself but also at the people around me. It made my interest in the human being and ‘their faces’ grow and so the seed, for my work ‘Faces to Face’, was planted.

But as always, life has surprises and in the middle of 2021 we moved to Switzerland with our Familie of four. A new country, a new start. Here the seed that was planted started to grow into the paintings of the woman figures I create today.

Faces to face is about the story that it evokes within you when you see her. What do you see?

Your works mainly consist of portraits with large eyes. Is the goal to emphasize expression? Could you talk about the relationship between technique and narrative in your art?

As they say, eyes are the window to the soul, the door way to the inner world. I like to invite the observer to use this doorway to observe their own reactions, emotions, and bring the subconscious to the surface of consciousness I love trying out different types of medium. From acrylic to oil paint her I can really explore my own ways of expression. And at the same time, the type of medium also reflect the state i am in at that moment. I drawings with ink or ecocline are quick but not always easy. What I do sometimes, I wet the paper in some places and start to draw, because of the water, the ink starts to flow a process I can not control. I love to go with this flow and see what it creates.

Are there any artists who inspire you?

Helen Verhoeven, I love her colour work and the way she plays with her themes and human beings in combination how she translates them in her paintings. Monica Subidé, love her way of expressing femininity.

Could you share your experiences in the “Her Story” exhibition?

I was honored to participate. I saw their open call for artist a few days before the closing date but their subject ‘Her Story, a Tribute to Woman’ just spoke to me, like Yes! this theme could fit beautifully to my work. So it was a rather last minute and impulsive application but I’m so happy that they still created a spot on the wall for me. Sometimes you just have to say yes to what is in front of you, and it will start to flow. So big thanks to Galerie Sechs in Basel.

What are your current and upcoming projects?

At the moment there is a break because in a few weeks I am moving again. After that I need some time to find my way, settle down. I am also looking for a studio in

Thun because our new house has less space than we have now and I would love to scale up the size of my work. Curious what effect that will have on my work.

So all new possibilities, but how they will turn out, I don’t know yet.