There is a place…
Blue Rhino is delighted to present a solo exhibition for Chantal van Houten. ”There is a Place…” invites viewers to immerse themselves in a vivid montage of human emotions through artist Chantal van Houten’s lens. This selection of lively artworks celebrates the multifaceted theme of emotional connection. In this exhibition, we see a melange of imaginations emerge from van Houten’s uniquely eclectic and graphic style; the closure of which is ultimately returned back to the viewer in direct conversation with the artist’s work.
Curated by: Cahaya Kala
Assistant Curators : Dariia Ishmuratova, Tamara Mufaro, Şimal Çeçen, Beini Chen
This Exhibition is Presented Online via Kunstmatrix
“Art for me is bringing emotion, I love it when a painting really gets to you, gives you a little tickling.”
– Chantal van Houten
There is a place, Mixed media on canvas, 60 x 80 cm
“There is a Place…” invites viewers to immerse themselves in a vivid montage of human emotions through artist Chantal van Houten’s lens. This selection of lively artworks celebrates the multifaceted theme of emotional connection. In this exhibition, we see a melange of imaginations emerge from van Houten’s uniquely eclectic and graphic style; the closure of which is ultimately returned back to the viewer in direct conversation with the artist’s work.
Van Houten’s artistic choice challenges viewers to look past the superficial and seek the deeper, inherent beauty in each person’s soul.
Through a patchwork of vibrant colours and images, the exhibition seeks to evoke a spectrum of feelings. Primarily figurative yet pointedly obscured, Van Houten’s artworks are designed to draw out emotions. A recurring feature in her works is the obscured or darkened faces of the subjects. This graphic choice serves as a metaphor for the layers of complexity within human emotions, urging a more thoughtful and introspective engagement. It emphasises the ways in which true beauty often lies beyond physical appearances.
In much of van Houten’s work, the faces of her subjects are obscured beneath a dark shroud. She does this to make a statement about the unimportance of appearance and skin colour; what is important is who you are as a human being and what choices you make in your life. Van Houten’s works often feature subtle meanings to promote a more critical observation of her work.
“I want to let people experience confusion, the dark unclear faces also refer to society today, the opposite of what we see on social media, where everything is made beautiful.”
Understanding the underlying message behind Van Houten’s work means identifying oneself within it. Her work enables us to empathise with emotions that bring us together all the whilst guiding viewers away from the physicalities that set us apart. In doing so, van Houten expresses her own message of the trivial nature of appearance.
By removing any signifier of gender, race, or appearance, we can begin to look beyond the mask of superficiality. Only then can the emotion behind each image emerge at the forefront. The resulting artworks present a more honest, raw portrayal of human emotions. Van Houten demonstrates through her practice that when seeking to connect with the core essence of humanity, less is more.
“Art for me is bringing emotion, I love it when a painting really gets to you, gives you a little tickling.”
– Chantal van Houten
“There is a Place…” stands as a call for viewers to look beyond the mask. To appreciate the unseen, and to find beauty in those that are hidden in plain sight.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Chantal van Houten was born in 1979 in the Netherlands. In 2005, she graduated from the Academy of Media and Art in Amsterdam and worked as a graphic designer. Van Houten found this work unsatisfactory, as she wanted to determine the message of her work for herself. As a result, she left her career as a designer and started on her journey as an artist. Van Houten described the discovery of herself as an artist as a quest. She has since had exhibitions at home and abroad and received rave reviews for her work. Her work has become more colourful over the years.
For van Houten, art is all about evoking emotion. She finds it important that a message is conveyed in her work. The image stimulates the imagination and comes alive for the viewer. Her inspiration stems from people and behaviour, with emotional expression being a recurring theme in her work. While her portraits may appear expressionless at first glance, the importance lies beneath the exterior. The emotion exists beneath the external appearance to encourage the viewer to examine the artwork closer.