Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Den Uijl.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I grew up in my grandfather’s house, a house in which the arts were greatly appreciated. We have a long history of artists in various disciplines, so when I started to show interest in painting, I was supported to the fullest extent. I graduated from the University of Houston with a BFA in 2016 and will be attending the University of Texas at Austin this fall to pursue my Masters; a lifelong dream of mine. I really dove into painting as my chosen medium in my teens. Keeping my hands busy with painting provided me with moments of intense focus and relief. I had the ability in high school to experiment with various media and paint clicked with me instantly.
The versatility of the medium was a huge draw, I felt in control and free to experiment. Nothing provided me the freedom both physically and mentally that painting did. As I grew older and continued to paint, technical ability paved the way for conceptual works. I began to think more critically about what I wanted to paint and why, what did I have to say and was it worth saying? This line of questioning gave birth to my current body of work which, to put it very briefly, focuses on mundane household items and fixtures that are not paid attention to directly, but reside in our subconscious.
Please tell us about your art.
In the early stages of my work I began to focus on the relationships that formed in my own personal space; relationships people might take for granted such as immediate family or a husband and wife. I was interested in how these ties to one another under the same roof make a simple space with objects feel like a home. Relationships between people or pets who inhabit the same space can be the tipping point between an empty shelter or domestic comfort. As my work progressed, I began to reconsider the idea of space, the objects inside, and how the relationships with those objects are just as important to the idea of home as the relationships between the people inside that space. I shifted focus to the importance of the objects we surround ourselves with we typically take for granted. Often these objects or fixtures are just as important, if not more so to our comfort and security.
Odd characteristics in a building’s architecture and average household items became the focus of my work and eventually, the figures in my paintings. My work captures the continued feeling of coming home again after a long time away, that one moment when you come home before it fades into the back of your mind. Your sink in the kitchen, your bathtub, your couch, all providing fresh feelings of security, vulnerability, and familiarity. Through my work I ask others to in turn reflect on their current living situations and what makes where they live a home. After viewing my work, my hope is you will reconsider the objects and relationships in your own space, not just after a long time away, but continuously as important part of what makes your house, a home.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
The most frequent issues I run into are a combination of affordability and sustainability. Living in the United States has become extremely expensive and if you want to live somewhere close to the happening art scene, you’re going to be paying top dollar for just your living space, never mind a studio space. Almost every practicing artist I know has a job outside of their craft, or a spouse or family member who can bring home a little extra bacon each month to make ends meet. Say you manage to break out and get representation and a steady income based off your work.
The next problem you might run into is, how long can I keep this up? How long will this last? Should I keep that second job? I fear that as funding for the arts continues to decrease along school programs shrinking more each year, future generations will place less value on the arts in our society. That art is something that we can afford to cut out, something expendable. I worry this trend will only exacerbate the issue of affordability and make it harder for future generations of artists to make a career out of their craft.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I show my work as often as my schedule allows and I am always on Instagram @heatherdenuijl
Contact Info:
- Email: hndenuijl@gmail.com
- Instagram: @heatherdenuijl
Image Credit:
Heather den Uijl
Urias Merino
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