About
Annegien de Bruijn (1970), born into a family of architects and interior designers, sat from an early age next to her father at his drawing board. She learns from an early age to look with a certain view at the world around us, being aware of lines and shapes.
She has studied psychology at the UvA (University of Amsterdam), she took several art classes with artists and institutes (Art Academy Haarlem-Leiden and Figura, Dutch Academy of figurative Sculpture) and finally studied Spatial Design and Sculpture at Crejat in Alkmaar. Her interest in people’s behaviour and emotions are often reflected in her sculptures. Events or news items that amaze or intrigue her are often the inspirations for her sculptures. She chooses whichever stylistic approach is best suited to convey the meaning and emotions of a piece.
“Creating is my passion. Figurative sculpting and conceptual art are my main motives. My work is mainly based on themes such as human behavior, emotions and contemporary issues. With my work I want to make certain stories visible. I try to approach life’s challenges with humor and a different point of view and make people aware of social issues.
I like to use different sculpture techniques. I just love the challenge of variety and discovering new materials and styles. These moments make you feel totally absorbed and have no sense of time.”
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More Background Information
With my work I want to make certain stories visible. I try to approach life’s challenges with humor and a different point of view and make people aware of social issues.
Project “Connected”
I have been fascinated by people’s behavioral changes since the rise of the mobile phone and the internet. The internet offers an incredible number of possibilities to make or maintain connections / contacts with someone and to look for information.
On the one hand the reach through the internet is endless, on the other hand those contacts are often very superficial. And how “real” are those contacts, how “real” are the lives of people on their social media, how “real” is the news that is being spread?
Also the distraction that the telephone gives during “real” contacts are not really social. How often do you see people constantly looking on their phones during a diner and hardly have a “real” conversation, visitors to museums are more concerned with the selfies, than pay “real” attention to the art, children prefer to play a game on an Ipad then with each other?
In the media you read more and more about the stress that internet and the smartphone are bringing. People are constantly accessible, the flow of information continues, brains get no peace of mind…
Project “Being There”
“For my father who is always there”
“For my mother who is present, but is not there
The “Being There” project is a series of sculptures that I made after my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I made a number of sculptures as a result of the initial phase of “becoming confused”. Then the admission to the care home and about ‘connecting’ with someone with Alzheimer’s, giving a hug, being connected by just “Being there”.