The exhibition Casper Waaijer in Kazakhstan is on view at Singer Laren from November 26, 2024, to March 2, 2025. Casper Waaijer (1995) is the winner of the 2024 John & Marine Van Vlissingen Art Foundation Prize. The prize includes an inspirational journey, a book, and an exhibition at Singer Laren. Casper Waaijer traveled to Kazakhstan, a country rich in contrasts, where he explored ways to unite the brutalist urban architecture with the vast natural landscapes.
Inspiration
A word that marks the beginning of art. It is also the central theme in the mission of the John & Marine Van Vlissingen Art Foundation: to support and encourage young, talented artists to take new steps in their careers. In 2024, the Foundation celebrates a milestone by awarding the prize to its fifteenth artist, Casper Waaijer. The prize was awarded to him for his skilled use of the inherent expressive qualities of various raw materials, such as jute sacks, ratchet straps, and car seat belts.
Self-taught
Although Casper Waaijer has only been active in the art world for a few years, this self-taught artist has shown significant development in a short time. After studying Business Administration at Nyenrode and a career in sales, the young artist decided to follow his true passion in 2021. His journey to Kazakhstan became an important source of inspiration, which he translated into a series of intuitively abstract works. These works reflect his passion for combining diverse materials, techniques, forms, textures, and colors.
Raw and Alluring
Casper Waaijer chose to travel to Kazakhstan, drawn by his fascination with Brutalism—an architectural style characterized by block-like structures, unpolished concrete, and metal constructions. During his trip, he found inspiration in the details, such as the repainted window coverings of apartment buildings. The diversity of window frames and façades creates a raw streetscape, a significant source of inspiration for his work.
The young artist was also captivated by what he describes as the “intense and alluring” colors of the Kazakh landscape. His work inspired by this landscape features a heavy six-centimeter-thick frame “draped” with used yellow polyester ratchet straps. The straps bear rust, paint, and grime—they are no longer pristine yellow but weathered and full of character. Waaijer explains: “It’s precisely this rawness that makes these straps so captivating and connects them to Kazakhstan. This work is inspired by the sandy plains and steppes dotted with yellow flowers that you see everywhere in Kazakhstan.”
Casper Waaijer in Kazakhstan: A Dutch Artist in the Former Soviet Union is on view at Singer Laren from November 26, 2024, to March 2, 2025.
