Elizabeth de Vaal: A Life in Painting, from Torsos to Autos
In a studio visit published by Mister Motley, Alex de Vries profiles Dutch painter Elizabeth de Vaal (b. 1950, Rotterdam), tracing her five-decade career. De Vaal, who studied at the Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Rotterdam (1970-1975) and Ateliers '63 in Haarlem, has developed a distinctive figurative style marked by recurring motifs such as torsos, feet, and cars. Her work, which she describes as a 'pars pro toto' (a part standing for a whole), explores themes of loss, desire, and the human condition. De Vaal has received several awards, including the Koninklijke Subsidie voor de Vrije Schilderkunst (1978), the Kunstbeeld Prijs (1982), and the Jeanne Bieruma Oosting Prijs (2001). She taught at the Academie voor Beeldende Vorming in Tilburg from 1983 to 2003, and co-founded the Artist-in-Residence program Post15 in Pécsbagota, Hungary, with Arie van der Burg, which ran from 2007 to 2023. Currently based in The Hague and Pécsbagota, De Vaal continues to paint, with a planned exhibition with Lotte Van Lieshout next year and participation in the 20th anniversary of Közelítés Művészeti Egyesület in Pécs. The article highlights her recent return to the car motif, which she sees as a metaphor for existence, and her reflections on the changing Hungarian countryside.
Key facts
- Elizabeth de Vaal was born in 1950 in Rotterdam.
- She studied at the Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Rotterdam from 1970 to 1975.
- She attended Ateliers '63 in Haarlem, where she was influenced by Jan Dibbets, Ger van Elk, and Carel Visser.
- She won the Koninklijke Subsidie voor de Vrije Schilderkunst in 1978.
- She received the Kunstbeeld Prijs in 1982 and the Jeanne Bieruma Oosting Prijs in 2001.
- She taught at the Academie voor Beeldende Vorming in Tilburg from 1983 to 2003.
- She co-founded the Artist-in-Residence program Post15 in Pécsbagota, Hungary, with Arie van der Burg, active from 2007 to 2023.
- A solo exhibition with Lotte Van Lieshout is planned for next year.
- She will participate in the 20th anniversary of Közelítés Művészeti Egyesület in Pécs, Hungary.
Entities
Artists
- Elizabeth de Vaal
- Jelis van Dolderen
- CWM Dolk
- Mariette Linders
- Jan Dibbets
- Ger van Elk
- Carel Visser
- Dick Cassée
- Toon Verhoef
- Jan Beutener
- Eli Content
- Ton van Summeren
- Marlene Dumas
- Ansuya Blom
- Cecile van der Heiden
- Gerard Polhuis
- Erik Andriesse
- Joseph Kosuth
- Mahalia Jackson
- Leen Boonstra
- Evert Maliangkay
- Albert Verkade
- Hedy Gubbels
- Lydia Schouten
- Peter Blokhuis
- Kees Franssen
- Otto Dicke
- Theo Halewijn
- Hannes Postma
- Jan Eijkelboom
- Henk de Vos
- Abel Cahen
- Charley van Rest
- Reinier Lucassen
- Christian Hanussek
- Adrian Walton-Smith
- Mark Glynne
- Alphons Freimuth
- Koos van Duinen
- Thé van Bergen
- Francesco Clemente
- Marina Abramovic
- Ulay
- Josine de Bruijn-Kops
- Liesbeth Brandt Corstius
- Marijke de Goeij
- Marjolijn van den Assem
- Michiel Hennus
- Ramon Gieling
- H.C. ten Berge
- Arie van der Burg
- Lotte Van Lieshout
- Jacob Böhme
- Alex de Vries
Institutions
- Theater de Kom
- Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten Rotterdam
- Ateliers '63
- Kunsthalle Basel
- Wetering Galerie
- Galerie Alto
- The Living Room
- Art & Project
- Helen van der Meij
- Riekje Swart
- Mazzo
- Archipel
- Diepenheim
- EKWC
- Cemety Art House
- Stichting Vrouwen in de Beeldende Kunst
- Academie voor Beeldende Vorming Tilburg
- Post15
- Közelítés Művészeti Egyesület
- Mister Motley
- Kröller-Müller Museum
- CODAmuseum
- Rijksdienst
- Delta Loyd
Locations
- Rotterdam
- Netherlands
- Nieuwegein
- Haarlem
- Gouda
- Amsterdam
- Zutphen
- Den Haag
- Pécsbagota
- Hungary
- Basel
- Switzerland
- London
- United Kingdom
- Yogyakarta
- Indonesia
- Zweden
- Zuid-Korea
- Duitsland
- Verenigde Staten
- Italië
- Boedapest
- Kralingen
- Noordereiland
- Kinderdijk
- Tilburg
- Pécs