27 Dec Dutch Artist Creates New Murals at CTC’s Center for Marine Conservation
This December, CTC collaborated with Dutch Artist Anne van Borselen to create new murals at our Center for Marine Conservation highlighting the beauty of our underwater environment. Anne is based in Amsterdam and is a frequent visitor to Bali. She was born in Surabaya in 1937. Painting runs in the family. Her mother, Emiria Soenassa was a famous Indonesian artist and her great-great grandfather from father’s side, J.W. can Borselen was a landscape painter of King William III from the Netherlands. Anne works with different artistic mediums and is known for her layered, freeform combinations of colors and motifs. We sat down with her and talked about her inspiration in making artworks.
- How long have you been working as an artist?
Since I was born. After school, my parents sent me to the art academy in The Hague and Rotterdam. When I was in Ibiza, I painted a lot there with my mother. She is a painter, too. We always organized to go together to paint. Well, that’s how I began becoming a painter.
- You are known for using different mediums in your art, for example you work with murals, ceramics, and canvas. Which medium do you prefer and what do you think about digital art?
Everything is ok for me. I don’t mind. I began painting on canvas, at the same time, I did it on the wall and ceramic. So, it’s not about which one that I prefer but which one that I like to do. This year, my daughter gave me an Ipad. It goes so fast for sketches or anything. We don’t need to prepare anything such as canvas, oil, materials, etc. All we needed to paint is already in there. I enjoyed painting digitally. But it’s just for ideas or sketches. Because my heart goes out to the paint with the canvas, oil, and all the materials. - What inspires you to create art and what is your inspiration for creating these artworks at CTC’s Center for Marine Conservation?
People and landscapes. I like to see the expression of people thinking, walking, smiling, etc. It’s captured on my head then it’s nice to make it a portrait. When I was young, I snorkeled a lot. I’d like to see the corals, fishes, and the sun in the sea. When Rili (ref Rili Djohani, CTC Executive Director) asked me to paint on CTC’s wall, I’d like to bring my memories in my head back and make it real. I painted a coral on the front wall and on the other side it could be a fish. So, people will see corals when they come and fish when they leave.
- What is your process for creating an artwork?
I do it directly on canvas or other medium. I see the inspiration in my head, then my hand does it. - How has your style changed over time?
Not so much. Even if it’s different, everybody can see it was Anne. It is because of the way I brush. It was influenced by my mother. I learned a lot from her about the way to see people at the moment and make it a portrait. My favorite artist is Picasso. Because he loves to do ceramics, he loves to do everything that he wants such as abstract, figurative, etc.
- What do you think about this statement, “Art is important to society”?
Art is important to give another view of life.
- What do you expect from the audiences when they see your artwork?
I let people have fantasies about my work. Let them think about their way of looking at my work. The important thing is to let the audience think what they think.
View Anne’s work at CTC’s Center for Marine Conservation, Jalan Betngandang II, 88-89, Sanur, Bali from Monday-Sunday, 9am-5pm.
Text: Adam Putra
Photos: Rili Djohani/CTC and Adam Putra/CTC
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