AKI students respond with their own work to Bas Kosters exhibition

Bas Kosters studied at AKI, where he says he developed his own distinct voice. He has now returned to AKI as a tutor. In the context of his solo exhibition Many Loving Arms at Rijksmuseum Twenthe, AKI students were invited to respond to his work.

Students from all three programmes - Fine Art, Moving Image and Crossmedia Design - could apply to take part in the project. The brief: create work in response to Bas Kosters’ exhibition. Not an assignment with a fixed outcome, but an open invitation to respond from within their own practice. 'Even in these short assignments, you can see how differently they approach their working processes,' says Bas Kosters.

Hands as a point of departure

Fine Art student Anna noticed a recurring element in Bas’s work: hands. It made her think of touch, but also of costume gloves. Her work refers to Greek mythology and is entirely handmade. 'A layer of satin on top, filling in the middle and cotton underneath. Everything stitched through using a historical quilting technique.' A technique she learned from her mother, who in turn learned it from hers.

The works by all participating students are on display at AKI until 7 April 2026.

Thinking through making

According to Bas Kosters, the art world is at a moment where craft is becoming increasingly important. “There is a lot of attention for drawing, painting, ceramics and textiles. Everything made by hand.” His advice is clear: “Make things with your hands. Get dirty.”

The solo exhibition Many Loving Arms by Bas Kosters is on view at Rijksmuseum Twenthe until 7 June 2026.