Artist: HJIMvanGasteren

Lambda Durst print, mounted on Diasec, 60x90cm, Edition of 5

Award winning multimedia artist HJIMvanGasteren (Henriëtte Johanna Ignatia Maria van Gasteren), formerly known as Lilith, was born in 1964 in Sevenum, the Netherlands.  She has been widely exhibited, throughout Europe and the U.S.
She uses self-portraits to provide a commentary on the image of women today.  Recurring themes in her work include identity, gender roles, freedom, equality, religion and the positive and negative aspects of human experience.  Her work is sometimes humorous, often sensual, frequently confrontational, and always original and insightful.
Her work belongs to international museumcollections and is frequently collected by contemporary art collectors.
Henriëtte currently resides and works in the Netherlands.

Artist statement                                                                                                                                                            

The Dutch art-photographer Henriëtte van Gasteren interprets the current image of women in a humorous, ironic and, at times, painfully realistic manner in her varied images. Her images are generated with the help of remote-control and self-timer, and they are shot in and around her house-cumstudio, as a guest in others’ homes or in what appear to be bland, interchangeable hotel rooms. Her images are characterised by one common thread—that of humanity uprooted. In these portraits, Henriëtte serves as her own model. She dresses differently and strikes different poses in each image. Her images portray a sample of female stereotypes in a sensitive and sophisticated manner. Color and light are critical to Henriëtte’s self-portraits. In addition, as a metteur-en-scène, she devotes special attention to clothing, make-up and props.

A house shows who we are and over 5 years Henriëtte shared her home and garden with her audience. Every corner of the room appears in her extraordinary photography.

Series:‘Bit Player’ Just as a house can tell who we are, so can a circle of friends. And in this series, ‘Bit player’, it is the circle of friends who adds an additional dimension to the stories that Henriëtte brings to life. It’s all about identity. Are we born with it or are we a product of our environment, of society, of our family, or of our friends and enemies? The series also raises questions about freedom. Are we ever truly free or do we naturally adapt to the identity we are assigned? Once again, while her photography is constantly changing and evolving, it’s wit, insight and humanism make it unmistakably ´Henriëtte´. Our family and our circle of friends has an enormous influence of what we understand that women are expected to do and to represent.

Collections                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Works of Henriëtte van Gasteren are included in the collections of Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam; Museum AktFotoArt, Dresden; Museum Bommel van Dam, Venlo; Limburgs Museum, Venlo; Museum Ikob, Eupen (Belgium); Torch Gallery, Amsterdam; ASN Nederland, Amsterdam; Museum W, Weert; Eduard Planting Gallery, Naarden; Coda Museum, Apeldoorn; Galerie Mi, Bilthoven, Galerie vorn und oben, Eupen (Belgium); Zuyderland Ziekenhuis, Heerlen.