Merian van Rooijen is a contemporary artist who lives and works in the Netherlands. She graduated from the Willem de Kooning Academy in 2006 with a degree in sculpture and graphic. As a multidisciplinary artist her work ranges from sculptures and wall objects to prints, as can be seen in the online art gallery and her commissioned art.
In brief
1974 | Born in Woerden
1992 | Brief study in Graphic Design (Graphic Lyceum Rotterdam)
1997 | Graduated in Design & Communication (Ichthus University Rotterdam)
2006 | Graduated in Arts & Design (Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam)
2007 | Start as an independent art professional
2007 – 2023 | Studios in Woerden, Utrecht and Haarlem
2023 – Present | Living and working in Haaften (NL)
Photo by Harald Scheper
Open character
Those who have seen her work immediately notice its ‘open’, soft character. Organic, predominantly white shapes, appear to flow naturally into each other. This changes under the influence of glancing light. Consequently her pieces change from moment to moment, giving the impression during the day of ‘breathing’. Merian’s art has its origins in the beautiful, natural environment of ‘Het Groene Hart’, an area located within the center of Holland. This is where she grew up, surrounded by stylized grasslands, glittering waterways, whimsical pollard willows and endless, cloudy skies.
Sculptural approach
Merian often combines various disciplines in her work. Her reliefs result from a sculptural approach to the flat surface. She uses different materials to experiment with lines, from soft to hard. This is not only visible in the end result, but also in printing and casting molds that she makes from linoleum, wood, steel and silicone rubber. She has also developed her own unique working method on canvas. Fabric is stretched, stitched and filled until the desired shape appears. Mixed media are used to merge the material into one image.
‘Tangibles’
Merian’s love for relief arose in her first year at the academy, when she painted over in white one of her paintings and the glancing light brought the imperfections on the canvas to life. During the same period, she left an etching plate in acid for too long and subsequently decided to make a print without ink. This led to her fascination with the play of light and shadow: the serenity of the smooth surface with a subtle contrast here and there that radiates tranquility and quiets the image. The images trigger a desire to touch them. Consequently she calls her work ’tangibles’.
Intuition and sensitivity
Merian’s language of form is organic, recognizable and strongly guided by intuition and sensitivity. Her images are figurative but not realistic. They are often silhouettes, shadows or mirror images that are related to reality but with great care reduced to a few flowing lines and volumes. They are reminiscent of the fleeting nature of our perception and memory, of images that we may want to hold on to but that fade, in any case, over time. By capturing the essence in form, Merian creates space for personal interpretation.