28 november 2023, Wouter van den Eijkel
The studio of... Jan Kuhlemeier
The Singer Laren is currently showing Jan Kuhlemeier – In a Sea of Colour, a Dutch Artist in Indonesia. Kuhlemeier was the recipient of the Van Vlissingen Art Foundation Prize last year, which was a journey of his choosing. This led him to the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia, where he found inspiration in the stunning colours of the sky at sunset. Reflecting on this experience, he said, "The colour explosions and transitions I witnessed were unparalleled. The way the sun tinted the clouds and the intensity accompanying are hard to describe in words." On returning to his studio in Haarlem, he incorporated these experiences into new work.
The exhibition Jan Kuhlemeier – In a Sea of Colour: A Dutch Artist in Indonesia is on display at the Singer Laren until 7 January. Jan Kuhlemeier is represented by Root Gallery.
Where is your studio and what does it look like?
My studio is in Haarlem on the edge of an old industrial estate. It is an elongated room with many windows on one side and walls and a high ceiling on the other. Every now and then the sun shines in directly on my works in the morning. Various series in different sizes hang on the walls. Also, there are studies scattered over the place and a number of works are currently hanging to dry.
Jan Kuhlemeier, Shifting Tides No. 59, 2023, Root Gallery
You work on both canvas and textile, with colours and nuances playing a significant role in your art. I can imagine that natural light is essential for your studio. Are there other requirements your studio must meet?
I believe good natural light is crucial for almost every artist, including photographers for evaluating prints and, of course, painters. My current studio doesn't meet my requirements. I find it important to be able to evaluate my work outside my cramped studio, allowing them to resonate with me. If like me, you work with a lot of colour, a studio can quickly become overwhelming and you can be inundated by multiple works at the same time. Sometimes, it's only at exhibitions that I truly grasp the actual impact of a piece. I think it would be nice to have at least one empty wall where I can evaluate my work individually without distraction. An additional space that is clean and empty with good daylight would be optimal.
I read that you used to skateboard and that you surf a lot nowadays. Many artists who skateboard say it alters their perception of public spaces because they think in terms of surfaces. Does this apply to surfing as well?
I still skateboard. My work has been strongly influenced by skateboarding and I agree that skateboarding makes you see public spaces differently, continuously spotting obstacles in the city for tricks. Surfing, on the other hand, is all about surfaces. When you surf, you are part of a surface for hours. Every movement you make influences that surface, creating ripples on the water. It changes continuously with every gust of wind and every passing wave. Everything around you moves and reacts to those movements, allowing you to fully immerse yourself. And, of course, there's an infinity of different surfaces on the ocean floor.
Jan Kuhlemeier, Shifting Tides No. 57, 2023, Root Gallery
Your work focuses on the effects of sunlight and wind on water and landscapes. When did you realise you could translate these into abstract art?
I find ‘abstract’ a tricky term. To me, abstract painting is strongly connected to visible reality. Abstract work can be more realistic to me than a realistically painted landscape. I believe that with abstract work, you can capture a feeling, a moment or a memory in a completely different way that develops and enters your brain than, for example, a figurative work, precisely because you have no anchor to reality and form. I can't pinpoint when I started experiencing this, probably during my time at the Academy (ArtEZ in Arnhem). At that time, I began distorting wooden panels to resemble waves. I think this has grown in various ways over the years, mainly because I find it interesting to continually explore and experiment with my actions and materials. I've also kept asking myself questions and remained curious.
You always conduct extensive research into the possibilities of materials. Why is that important to you?
It keeps things exciting and keeps me alert. I believe you must continue to experiment, practice and play. There are so many materials, each with its own quality or property, or that respond in a certain way – or not at all. Take pigments, for instance. The one may be opaque, another more transparent and still another much more intense.
When I used to skateboard a lot, I used tile adhesive and sometimes cement to fill edges in the city so we could ride over them and create our own cement obstacles. Nowadays, I use a material that allows me to experiment with transparency and coverage. I always look for materials that reflect my current life, inspiring me.
Jan Kuhlemeier, Quadriptych, 2023, Root Gallery
Congratulations on your exhibition at Singer Laren, Jan Kuhlemeier in a Sea of Colour - a Dutch Artist in Indonesia. The exhibition is linked to the Van Vlissingen Art Foundation Prize, which was a trip of your choice. Why did you decide to go to the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia? What makes that place so special?
I wanted to go to an island because I needed a break from all the stimuli to find peace of mind. The water on the Mentawai Islands is incredibly clear and has a fantastic greenish blue colour and I wanted to experience that. What is it like to be immersed in it? It's fantastic. Especially when you wear a diving mask and swim down in the water, it is as if you are floating on another planet. The Mentawai Islands are also known for the fantastic waves that break along the coral reefs, forming powerful hollow lines. What ultimately inspired me the most were the sunsets. I had never seen before the colour explosions and transitions as I saw there. The way the sun coloured the clouds and the intensity that accompanied it are hard to describe in words. It was so fascinating that it made me look at this phenomenon in a whole new way.
This video made by Valentijn Stomp gives you an idea of what it is like there.
What are you exhibiting at the Singer?
All the works at the Singer were created based on this journey. I worked with my experiences and memories from the trip in my studio. The nice thing is that when I returned to my studio, new work emerged that surprised even me. I never have complete control over my work, which allows me to surprise and amaze myself. All the works are based on memories I have from specific places during my trip, including a few on the island of Java, such as the Green Canyon and village of Batu Karas. So, all of the work has a direct link to a moment and memory I experienced, just as a specific scent can immediately evoke memories.
Jan Kuhlemeier, Untitled XIX, 2023, Root Gallery
Is there a work in the presentation that you have a special connection with?
I find it difficult to pinpoint just one. As a creator, you look at your work differently than the viewer because you know the inner process. For example, I would like to experience my own work as if I had never seen my work before. Of course, that's not possible, but I just want to convey an idea.
What I really like about the presentation at the Singer is how all the different works come together and interact. It was all in my head all this time and I thought that I somewhat knew what the result would be. I took the dimensions of my work into account for the space, made sketches and a model, but when it's finally hanging in a museum, everything falls into place. That's the moment when everything comes together and a dialogue emerges between the work and the space, creating something tangible.
If I were to give you a blank check, where would you travel to for inspiration and why?
There are still so many places I would like to see. But I think after the tropical adventure on the Mentawai Islands, it would be interesting to go in a different direction. I still really want to go to Norway (Lapland) to see the northern lights, experience the immense fjords and rugged landscape.
What are you currently working on?
Right now, I'm mostly just catching my breath after everything that has happened this year. At the beginning of the year, I told my girlfriend a few of my dreams for 2023. I said I wanted to go on a long journey, create a major exhibition and publish a book. I've been able to fulfil all of them this year. Now I'm taking time to recharge and savour this beautiful adventure made possible thanks to the initiative of John and Marine van Vlissingen.
Jan Kuhlemeier – In a Sea of Colour, a Dutch Artist in Indonesia. Singer Laren
