Soap bubbles
Nienke Sybrandy (1979) studied textile at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy and gained a master’s degree in applied arts at the Sandberg Institute. Next to her practice as an independent designer she also teaches at the Arts Academy in Maastricht and the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague.
The work of Sybrandy originates from personal or unique histories. She uses images and objects to create new narratives. A fleeting moment, like the burst of a soap bubble, can form the visual motive. Soap bubbles and flowers are themes that frequently re-occur in her work. These symbols of vanitas address the art-historical tradition in which objects of the everyday are elevated to symbols of life and dead.
Sybrandy uses this transcendent meaning, while simultaneously giving it a personal interpretation, to create a more contemporary narrative. These new stories connect the historic value of the objects to the present and bring them into contact with our daily interactions.
Photos: Rene Mesman, Sander Moerman