Fien Brakkee is a multimedia artist based in the Netherlands. Her work is a poetic and sensitive exploration of the physical and spiritual relations between the landscapes that surround us and the landscapes that live within us. Inspired by the ephemeral evidence of memory, vivid yet untouchable atmosphere of place and the sometimes elusive elements of our existence, Fien hopes for her work to create opportunities to slow down and pay attention to the tender and still things that our harsh, fast paced and chaotic society tend to rush past.
My time at Fish Factory was immensely glorious. It is hard to express the depth of impact it has had on me as an artist and also as a human being. Being here in this grand landscape has felt like meeting the earth in her most pure, wild and free form. Witnessing that and being among it has allowed me to grow, soften, connect, love, explore and experiment in ways I could have never imagined.
During my two month residency I followed the flow of days and the curiosity in my hands. I did many different things such as: continued my growing love for ceramics by handbuilding works and learning how to throw on the wheel, creating many cyanotypes with gatherings from the land, learning how to felt with Icelandic wool, carving my first spoon and writing, drawing and playing around endlessly.
It was freeing to just spend my time making, without purpose or pressure. To follow my intuition and the inspiration this landscape gifted me. It opened up an opportunity to reflect on previous work, recognize the themes and wonderings that tie them all together and deepen those explorations further. The result is a body of work that feels like a beginning of things coming together and that fills me with excitement to continue on this path being here has set me on.
Looking back I will remember the beautiful walks and drives, many deep and sensitive conversations, the warm hugs and the laughs, the snow on the mountains, the singing birds at night, the dancing aurora in the sky, a glimpse of the midnight sun and making friends for life.
Leaving is hard but I go with bags full of inspiration and a heart full of tenderness and warmth. Thank you so much Kris and the whole team at Fish Factory, you created a magical place that I can ’t wait to come back to one day.
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