20 february 2024, Manuela Klerkx
In Memoriam of Lizan Freijsen (1960 – 2024)
Rotterdam-based artist Lizan Freijsen was seriously injured after falling off her bike last Wednesday and passed away at the hospital the following day. The Dutch art world is in shock. “A dear, warm woman”, “a mentor to so many students”, “so warm and easily approachable” and “kind and full of life” are only a few of the comments on Instagram from colleagues, friends and students. Apart from being a successful artist, Lizan was a beloved teacher at the Willem de Kooning Academy for over 20 years. She was working on a major commission for Artis and was scheduled to go to New York for an artist-in-residency on the very day she passed away. Her rich, inspiring life came to an abrupt and far too early end.
Lizan was born on 19 March 1960 in Zwijndrecht. From 1978 to 1984, she attended the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, followed by a several years of study at the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht. Her interest in mould began in 2002 when she began photographing leaks and other moisture spots in people's homes. In addition to teaching at the Willem de Kooning Academy, she began a Master's degree programme in Design Research in 2014 and in 2017, earned her Master's degree and published the book The Living Surface based on her extensive database of mould and moisture stains.
Lizan Freijsen. Foto: WTC Art Gallery
Lizan was fascinated by microbiology, particularly in forms of decay and organic processes of deterioration in our environment. She transformed mould, fungi and lichens, as well as moisture spots and cracks in stone walls, into moments of reflection. “With her work, she turned decay into beauty,” commented a friend. With her hand-tufted carpets (for floor, corners and wall), she produced mould and lichens as soft, tactile surfaces that, in her own words, make you want to surround oneself with them. She visualised and made tangible not the fear or repulsion of decay, but rather its meaning, beauty and softness in her own unique way. In a statement from August 2023, she said, “With my work, I want to contribute to understanding and increase awareness, resulting in a healthier climate.” And did just that until her very last moment.
Comforting words of the NL=US gallery with which she has collaborated since 2018:
Your involvement and good intentions for everyone who crossed your path will never be forgotten.
Our thoughts go out to Lizan’s daughter and her other relatives and friends.
