Elzemarieke Sluiter

IN BETWEEN

Step into the void
Let it envelop you
Let it speak

Because it is precisely there, in that void
Meaning arises

In my visual work, I search for emptiness filled with meaning. The focus isn't on the object itself, but on the voids between them, and the subjective space in which
meaning arises.

My working method is intuitive. I deconstruct shapes and images, reassemble them, and add something new. This process, which also formed the basis of my graduation project, creates surfaces and spaces that initially appear empty, but actually offer a great deal of openness. Space that you almost literally see and experience. I'm fascinated by how meaning can emerge from emptiness, and it's precisely there that tension arises.

I attempt to capture this tension in the work IN BETWEEN, which is based on the Japanese concept of "ma." Three large objects are placed in space and relate to each other and their surroundings. The physical void between them is palpable. In a monotype print, a single line reveals that tension in a different way: fragile, still, yet connecting. The line forms a horizon, a direction for contact.

For me, art has the power to express something without words. This is done by listening, responding, and engaging in encounters. Connection plays a significant role in this, and it's something I continually seek in my work. Connection between people, between creator and material, and between different cultures. While creating this work, I asked myself: how can a Western artist work with a Japanese cultural concept without appropriating it? Art offers me the space to explore these kinds of questions, to build bridges instead of drawing boundaries.