The John & Marine van Vlissingen Art Foundation helps young, talented contemporary artists break through with their work. Every year an artist is given the opportunity to go on a trip to get inspiration for new work. A book and an exhibition are made about the trip and the work. This year the choice fell on contemporary visual artist Casper Waaijer (1995). He is traveling to Kazakhstan this spring. The resulting work will be exhibited at Museum Singer Laren from November 26, 2024.
Kazakhstan: intersection of worlds
This April, the artist chooses to travel to Kazakhstan for inspiration. A country on the outer borders of the Islamic world and a crossroads between Russian, Chinese and Central Asian civilizations. Casper Waaijer: ‘In a country full of contradictions, I look for a way to unite in my work the brutalist architecture in the cities with the breathtaking landscapes.’
Casper Waaijer: ‘I aim to evoke a sense of wonder’
Casper’s work is intuitively abstract. He combines a variety of materials, techniques, shapes, textures and colors. In 2021, he started tufting. Combining it with acrylic paint gave his works even more depth and contrast. Charles Ruijgrok, board member of the Foundation: ‘Casper is an autodidact. His work particularly appeals to us because he works so intuitively. We look forward to his new work.’ Recently Casper has been experimenting with braids: works made from strips of acrylic paint on burlap and linen .In his upcoming work, Casper wants to further perfect the art of braiding.
Summers by the sea and business
The shapes in his earlier works were inspired by the tides of the sea. In his most recent work, the same shapes recur, but he also looks beyond and incorporates architectural and geometric influences. Growing up in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, he spent entire summers on the beach as a child. From a young age, Casper was creative and excelled at drawing. Nevertheless, he took a detour toward being an artist and first did a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration. In 2021 he took the plunge and since then Casper has focused entirely on his art.
Curious about Casper’s journey and his new sources of inspiration? Follow him on Instagram via @vanvlissingenartfoundation or @waaijer. More of his work can be seen at www.casperwaaijer.com.
