Hadassah Emmerich (1974)
Hadassah Emmerich prefers to paint on large surfaces, like huge sheets of paper or even directly on the wall. Her works run rampant across two dimensions: vines creep out from plants to form letters and exotic fruits sparkle like jewels. An eye or glossy strand of hair shines from behind colourful flowers and plants. Emmerich has invented a word for her poetic, richly ornamented representations: they are 'batiked.'
In recent years Emmerich has been drawing on her roots with increasing confidence. Raised in the Netherlands, her family background includes Indonesian, Chinese, German and Dutch. She studied in Antwerp and London and worked for a time in Berlin. 'I'm always looking for the "exotic," with all its associations like eroticism, the female image and identity,' says Emmerich. In a rich image language, she continually questions what we call our own and the familiar and what we experience as foreign and alien.**
The artist works with tempera and acrylic in a manner that suggests a connection with the language of graffiti artists who take to the streets with spray-paint and template, creating their work in situ. And Emmerich also likes to tie herself to the place where she works, which is why the technique of wall painting suits her so well. When she does wall painting, she also adds loose drawings. Emmerich builds up her images layer by layer, until the distinction between foreground and background disappears.
* R. Roos, ‘Niet bang voor verbeelding’, Kunstbeeldcahier:De Rabo Kunstcollectie, Rijswijk 2005, p.31
** R. Arkesteijn, ‘Verboden vruchten’, With love from Batik Babe, Den Haag 2005, p.57
