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About the artist

 

Born in The Netherlands, moved to France in 2005.

Art School in Antwerp, Belgium.

Courses in journalism and photography in The Netherlands.

Before becoming a fulltime artist/photographer Rieja van Aart worked as

an editor in chief for magazines in The Netherlands.    


HER DRIVE

From an early age Rieja van Aart wanted to create, to make something out of objects that do not speak for themselves. So when she started taking photographs, she wanted to compose the images before she captured them on photos.

For the images she generally uses objects that are simple, without any special value. She collects them everywhere, on a walk, in the garden or in the kitchen: a piece of cloth or paper, a branch or a stone, a snake skin or a bird feather, a shell or a nut….

She combines the finds in her studio, sometimes she adds paint or ink and then takes her photographs in natural light. Essential to the process is a feeling or atmosphere.

Rieja creates inner landscapes, still lives, abstract images that everyone can interpret in their own way.


HER HISTORY

Rieja van Aart wanted to become an artist or a journalist . She chose art, went to art school, but the system did not appeal to her. So when she was asked to become an apprentice journalist for a newspaper, she said yes. She quickly became a 'real' journalist, running from a city council meeting to an exhibition, from a fire to a fashion show... And learned a lot: writing, dealing with stress, knowing people, performing under pressure.


Not wanting to give up art, she took classes at the academy and took up photography on Sundays; the rest of the week was for work.


The daily newspapers became weeklies and then monthly glossy magazines... From a student she became a journalist and finally an editor-in-chief of weeklies and glossy magazines.


At weekends Rieja continued to take photographs: still lives that often became abstract images. Initially she took analogue photos then moved on to 

digital ones. Once or twice a year she exhibited her photos.



Making newspapers and magazines means thinking about target groups, about what others want. At some point Rieja wanted to listen to herself. Therefore she decided to stop making magazines, move to France and work in peace on what she feels, what she experiences.



She now exhibits her photos about 5 times a year in France, the Netherlands and Germany.


Furthermore, she feels good in the French countryside and is happy with her work as an artist photographer.