Denise van Schelven
Paises Bajos
I am Denise van Schelven from Schiedam, the Netherlands. I have been making collages for a year and a half now. Ever since I contracted COVID-19 in 2020 and developed post-COVID syndrome, I have been unable to perform my job as an education researcher. To cope with everything that happens in my life, I have immersed myself in the creative realm.
Since the beginning of 2022, I have been actively engaged in creating collages. Initially, it was to find a form of expression for my emotions and feelings, but later it also became more and more pleasurable for me. It feels good to work with my hands (after having been very intellectually engaged in my work for a long time). I am embarking on a completely unexpected new direction in my life. Soon, I will be opening my own studio. I am really looking forward to it!
I work intuitively, based on my feelings. I start by gathering images that align with my current mood, and then I begin to associate and combine them. My work is often autobiographical. In my collages, I strive to view the world from a different perspective, uncovering new or unexpected aspects, thoughts, and emotions within myself. I like to make compositions with small images cut out of books, magazines and other mediums. It is a soothing way for me to process stimuli and concentrate.
In the beginning, I mainly created analog collages. Over time, I started using more varied techniques, such as ink, print, and digital collage.
collage.ar/collage.com.ar