As a Dutch artist I am mostly interested in divergent images, so the results of my work are charaterized by an unbalanced assembly of every day objects. Over the years, while living in several countries, different perspectives emerged. While living in Australia, Melbourne area, I was active in a local art community, and I participated in several exhibitions. During 2012 -2017 I attended an art academy, The Nieuwe Akademie Utrecht. I graduated in Installation art. The last three years of this period I was living in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. I was accepted for a studio at the Kampala Art Biennale 2018. This has resulted in an exceptional experience. Since then I travelled to other countries. Impressions were overwhelming, every time. Currently my work comprises mostly photography taken with a mobile phone. My eye catches the abnormal, the apparently unimportant details. In my studio, I also create installatons , which I photograph. This results in alienating and discording images.

Initially I am a self-taught sculpturer in ceramics and bronze. As a graduated installation artist, everyday objects are assembled; discarded items or just a compressed piece of metal. A found object can be the starting point for a sculpture. The shape, material and color are herewith determining. By adding contrasting objects and materials an image evolves. Especially the connections used, such as metal pins, pipes and tubes, a piece of wire or rope, are crucial and of essence! They become like drawn pencil lines in the space.

Photography is a new medium, where the same eye is used to capture the discarded, or the destructed. Computer manipulation of the picture is another medium to create a different image.

A tension field must emerge in the sculpture or the image, which does allows the viewer to get an ambiguous image. It may be awkward and extreme. Calm and exaggerated, fragile and coarse, beautiful and unpolished. These contrasts must reinforce each other. The sculpture/image must be a perceptual experience for the viewer.

Name: Astrid Mourik -de Wit

Nationality:    Netherlands

Education:      2012-2017 NAU Nieuwe Akademie Utrecht

Website:         www.astridmourikdewit.com

Email:              amourikdewit@gmail.com

Phone:            +31642110101