"I wanted to return to the artist within me."
“When I look back at my work in the past four years, ‘space’ has always been an important part of it. At first I only worked on flat surfaces, but when I started this course I learned about 3D-work. That’s the great part of this course; you learn new techniques and ways of thinking. I never thought about working with space, but it fits very well”, Pieta states.
Women more space in today's society
The final work of Pieta is also connected to the theme ‘space’. It’s about the space women take up in society. “Even though our society is not quite men-women minded, there are still a lot of examples in which women take up too little space. Men like to be seated with their legs widespread, women with their legs crossed. Or this ‘mainsplaining’. This division of roles, I think women should act against it. Of course, this is a generalization but, just to make a point. The basis for this work, is women should take up more space”, says Pieta. 
Engaged with the work
“I make art because I’m concerned with specific themes, not because I’m an activist or because it's based on my own experience. I read a lot in the media and include it in my work. I chose ‘the breast’ as the subject of my final work because this body part has multiple layers. It encompasses aspects such as seduction, its role in nourishing children, and the prevalence of breast cancer and its profound consequences. I’m creating abstract representations of breasts which put this image together. I have drawn one breast, and made another out of plaster, and I may also create one using fabric. It’s like a family of breasts”, she states.
“I like to show the duality in my work, there is not directly a deeper message in it. Also, I don’t like the fact it’s already stated what my intentions with this work are. People can form their own judgements and interpretations. During the making process of this final work, I discussed a lot with my advisor about the process. It’s all about this. There is no checklist we must check off.”
Return to the artist
The artistic part of the course is the most appealing for Pieta. She chose deliberately for the Tailor-Made course of Fine Art and Design in Education, because of her job at a high school. She teaches three days a week, and she has a family of five. “Twenty years ago, I went to the preparatory programme of the art academy in Kampen. I already studied Dutch. Then life happened and I got my children. When my youngest turned seven, I thought: ‘There is still a part of me that wants more than being home and teaching’. I wanted to go back to being the artist in me. The autonomous part of being an artist is very beautiful”, Pieta tells. “When I went to the open day of this course, I saw the autonomous part was very well represented. I really wanted to focus on the art and less on education. Besides that, this course was close to my home, which is very important to me.”
“It was a good time to return to school. I have already been working as a teacher of Dutch for 24 years, have a family and I’m at a more advanced stage in my life. I have some psychological maturity and know how to reflect. That’s very important in this course”, she states. “This course brought me some much on artistic level. I remember my lecturer told me in the second year: ‘Trust that your hands will lead your head’. I was always in my head, and it was so helpful he told me that. I learned to trust if I start making something, it will flow. The joy of making something, focusing on my work, is what I experience here. I discovered what I wanted to tell and learned to express myself through my work.”
The final work of Pieta is from 29 June until 9 July 2023 exhibited at the big finals exhibition of ArtEZ Academy of Art & Design in Zwolle. During the open atelier weekend on 24 and 25 September, you can see the atelier of Pieta at the Sassenstraat 26 in Zwolle.
