The title refers to the strong religious references encompassed in this latest body of work. Whereas previously she utilised secular motifs to generate tension in her work, now it is her use of classical and religious iconography that confront the viewer. Symbols from Islam and Catholicism such as a crown of thorns, a burka, or a cross imbue her work with an aura that irrevocably raises questions about truth, experience, belief, suffering and sadness. Without taking up any particular moral standpoint, the artist plays enticingly with this relevant and often controversial subject matter.
Katinka Lampe paints portraits. Instantly recognisable in these portraits are the faces of (for example), her own children. Still it is not a realistic likeness that gives these images their undoubted quality. It is rather her formal interventions, the addition of a burka, wig, sunglasses or mouth cap that lend her representations an alienated feel. The motifs she adds to her portraits are charged with meaning. What associations are raised when she combines a balaclava and dark sunglasses, with the soft, fragile face of a child? Lampe’s work invites the viewer to draw his own conclusions: a game of attracting and repelling, strong contrasts and more questions than answers.
Katinka Lampe
studied at the Academy of Art and Design in ‘s- Hertogenbosch. Her work has been included in a number of prestigious (private) collections such as Museum Stadsgalerij Heerlen, Centre National des Arts Plastique (Paris), AEGON Kunstcollectie, Akzo Nobel Art Foundation and De Nederlandsche Bank. Her work is currently being exhibited at the Kunsthal Rotterdam (until the 30th of May, 2010).
Aside from this presentation, a selection of abstract paintings from Jus Juchtmans (B) and Sybille Pattscheck (D) will be on view in the back rooms of the gallery.