Artist Rinske Former (1991) won the Van Vlissingen Art Foundation Prize in 2019. Former traveled to Ireland; the land of green hills, rich culture and history. In this magical country, where fairy tales come to life, Former was able to disappear into the natural world.
Part of the Inspiration series, the book featuring her work entitled, Rinske Former in search of Tír na nÓg, was written by Anja Frenkel and published by Waanders. Rinske’s work was displayed at Pulchri Studio between 16 November 2019 and 8 December 2019.
Rinske Former is an artist focusing on the limits of human existence. Rinske mainly works in photography, but sculptures and text are also a part of her artistic catalogue. Former aims to, above all, touch people and offer hope through her work. Rinske studied photography at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague, completing her studies in 2016. She subsequently began a master’s degree at the St. Joost in Breda.
Rinske’s work is characterized by a certain tactility. Present in her creations, is an unfeigned sensitivity that distinguishes her from other artists. Her work is further characterized by the central focus on people’s dreams and desires.
As a child, Rinske greatly desired to be able to fly as birds do. She repeatedly dreamt that she would fly out of a window into the wide world. This provided inspiration for her photography studies at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague.
Tír na nÓg
Rinske: “There is an old story about the ‘Land of Eternal Youth’. That place is said to be in Ireland and is called ‘Tír na nÓg’, also translated as ‘Land of the Young.’ The story attracted me because I myself have a fear of getting older. I wanted to find this mythical place in that fairytale Ireland.”
Perpetual youth
Together with travel companion and photographer Vivian, Rinske decided to follow the story of Tír nan Óg through her travels. The story of Tír na nÓg appeals to Former for its featuring of the concept of eternal youth, something she has always longed for. The journey to discover more about Tír na nÓg, took Rinske and Vivian through a mapped-out route from Dublin, past cities and villages for a period of two weeks. “I spoke to three Irish storytellers, men whose job it is to tell stories. Two of them agreed on where the land should be located, they called the area ‘Killarney’. I’ve traveled close by.”
Through her poetic photography, Rinske conveyed her experiences and encounters as well as the breathtaking Irish landscape, giving shape to her desire to remain young forever.
During her voyage of discovery, Rinske made photographs that were shown for the first time during the exhibition in Pulchri Studio. In addition to the photographs, Rinske also made sculptures. Rinske: “The storytellers spoke a great deal with their hands. I made prints of hands in plaster, which I later photographed again.”
Rinske Former is an artist focusing on the limits of human existence. Rinske mainly works in photography, but sculptures and text are also a part of her artistic catalogue. Former aims to, above all, touch people and offer hope through her work. Rinske studied photography at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague, completing her studies in 2016. She subsequently began a master’s degree at the St. Joost in Breda.
Rinske’s work is characterized by a certain tactility. Present in her creations, is an unfeigned sensitivity that distinguishes her from other artists. Her work is further characterized by the central focus on people’s dreams and desires.
As a child, Rinske greatly desired to be able to fly as birds do. She repeatedly dreamt that she would fly out of a window into the wide world. This provided inspiration for her photography studies at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague.
Tír na nÓg
Rinske: “There is an old story about the ‘Land of Eternal Youth’. That place is said to be in Ireland and is called ‘Tír na nÓg’, also translated as ‘Land of the Young.’ The story attracted me because I myself have a fear of getting older. I wanted to find this mythical place in that fairytale Ireland.”
Perpetual youth
Together with travel companion and photographer Vivian, Rinske decided to follow the story of Tír nan Óg through her travels. The story of Tír na nÓg appeals to Former for its featuring of the concept of eternal youth, something she has always longed for. The journey to discover more about Tír na nÓg, took Rinske and Vivian through a mapped-out route from Dublin, past cities and villages for a period of two weeks. “I spoke to three Irish storytellers, men whose job it is to tell stories. Two of them agreed on where the land should be located, they called the area ‘Killarney’. I’ve traveled close by.”
Through her poetic photography, Rinske conveyed her experiences and encounters as well as the breathtaking Irish landscape, giving shape to her desire to remain young forever.
During her voyage of discovery, Rinske made photographs that were shown for the first time during the exhibition in Pulchri Studio. In addition to the photographs, Rinske also made sculptures. Rinske: “The storytellers spoke a great deal with their hands. I made prints of hands in plaster, which I later photographed again.”
