The Mondriaanhuis in Amersfoort organized a painting competition for the fourth time in collaboration with Royal Talens.
Painter Piet Mondriaan was convinced that with his work he could contribute to more harmony in the world. He strove for an 'Earthly paradise' with his painting.
The painting competition invited contestants to make a painting, either digital or analogue, about that concept.
The jury, consisting of Koen Samson (Operational Director of Van Spengen Auction House), Joyce de la Croix (Curator of the Mondriaan House), and Febe Verheijen (Head of Education at the Mondriaan House), nominated forty contestants and the First and Second Place.
In the adult category the winner is: Elena van Doorn. The jury says about her work: “A cheerful but also daring work that fits directly with the theme of earthly paradise, it is colourful, imaginative, technically well-made, and a catchy image that also leaves room for the viewer's own interpretation.” Second place went to: Nancy Cappetijn. “…despite the 'hard' geometric shapes, the work radiates tranquility…”, according to the jury report.
Whether it be an abandoned factory, an attic or a kitchen table, it is the artist’s studio where the great art of our time is conceived and created.
My art studio is located in the kitchen, in a corner by the living room, in our garden, it does not matter, as long as I find the time and space to image and materialise images that can move others.
In the painting "Earthly Paradise according to Mondriaan" I painted a kid, sneaking inside a studio and painting something we can't see. The only thing that reveals before our eyes is what may be in his imagination, inside his mind while he paints. From the materials that surround him, painting cans, paints, emerge exotic plants and animals called from distant lands.
It is in our art studio where we begin to create an Earthly Paradise and our work may inspire others to look for it as well.
The painting will be exhibited at Mondriaanhuis, Amersfoort, from March until June 2024.