SEPTEMBER 18, 2021 - OCTOBER 9, 2021

Thinkspace Projects

4217 W. Jefferson Blvd. | Los Angeles, CA 90016

T: 310.558.3375 | Tues. - Sat. Noon to 6PM

Thinkspaceprojects.com

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

Opening Reception

Saturday, 6PM- 10PM

Masks and Social Distancing Required

Los Angeles, CA (July 28, 2021) - Thinkspace Projects is excited to present Roos van der Vliet’s latest solo show, ‘Mirrors of Your Soul.’ Featuring an entirely new collection of the hyperrealistic depictions of hair she is known for, there is a piercing energy at the heart of each piece.

The body of work is the result of the recent pandemic, a return to portraits at a time of extreme isolation. Van der Vliet begins each painting with the eyes, bringing the subject to life from that first moment, a magnetic vitality that is immediately evident to viewers. While the concepts of this solo exhibition are familiar for the artist--hair, piercing eyes, golden hour light--the intention behind the works has changed. Rather than focusing on differences, ‘Mirrors of Your Soul’ highlights the similarities between us, emphasizing that we are all more alike than we often care to admit.

“We are all dealing with the same stuff around the world, although all stories are unique, all countries are different and the amount of suffering clearly differs from person to person, it’s all stories in space and time. In our very essence we are all the same. That what binds us are not our differences, our personal stories, our childhood trauma’s, our successes in life, it’s the fact that we’re all here at the same time as one species, the human race.”

Roos van der Vliet’s solo exhibition is a means of communication, an effort on the part of the artist to interact and connect with each viewer through the eyes of her paintings. Following a period of such tremendous loneliness, safe and varied interaction is more important than ever. Through her work, van der Vliet aims to diversify the ways we connect and offer a new catalyst for reflection.

‘Mirrors of Your Soul’ opens September 18, 2021 with a reception from 6PM to 9PM. On view until October 9, 2021 at Thinkspace Projects.

About Roos van der Vliet

Roos van der Vliet (b. 1985) is a Dutch artist, based in Duiven, the Netherlands. She got her BFA in 2009, and has been painting ever since, creating work that has been exhibited throughout the world. She is known for her hyperrealistic portraits where women stare through the confines of their hair with a striking gaze, and her more abstract paintings of swirling hair compositions with brightly colored birds. Painting is like meditation to Roos, especially when she paints what she’s known for best: hair. It is a way to draw back from the enigmatic world that overwhelms her and leaves her with more questions than answers. From rough strands to the tiniest hairs, whenever she finds her repetitive flow, her mind wanders off into the stillness of her being, where she finds an understanding of her own existence, her mortality and her triviality in the grand scheme of things.

About Thinkspace                                       

Thinkspace was founded in 2005; now in LA’s thriving West Adams District, the gallery has garnered an international reputation as one of the most active and productive exponents of the New Contemporary Art Movement. Maintaining its founding commitment to the promotion and support of its artists, Thinkspace has steadily expanded its roster and diversified its projects, creating collaborative and institutional opportunities all over the world. Founded in the spirit of forging recognition for young, emerging, and lesser-known talents, the gallery is now home to artists from all over the world, ranging from the emerging, mid-career, and established.

Though the New Contemporary Art Movement has remained largely unacknowledged by the vetted institutions of the fine art world and its arbiters of ‘high culture,’ the future promises a shift. The Movement’s formative aversion to the establishment is also waning in the wake of its increased visibility, institutional presence, and widespread popularity. Thinkspace has sought to champion and promote the unique breadth of the Movement, creating new opportunities for the presentation of its artists and work. An active advocate for what is now one of the longest extant organized art movements in history, Thinkspace is an established voice for its continued growth and evolution, proving their commitment by expanding its projects beyond Los Angeles, exhibiting with partner galleries and organizations in Berlin, Hong Kong, London, New York City, Detroit, Chicago, and Honolulu among many others, participating in International Art Fairs, and curating New Contemporary content for Museums. Committed to the vision, risk, and exceptional gifts of its artists, the gallery is first and foremost a family. From the streets to the museums, and from the “margins” to the white cube, Thinkspace is re-envisioning what it means to be “institutional.”   

Media Inquiries: Hijinx PR | Heidi Johnson | heidi@hijinxarts.com | 323.204.7246