Faria van Creij-Callender
My work is a tribute to my family history, but also an invitation to conversation: which cultures shape us and which stories are needed to convey.
Faria van Creij-Callender (1998) creates paintings that invite viewers into a world of memory, imagination, and self-reflection. Drawing on her Surinamese and Dutch heritage, she explores themes of identity, family history, and belonging through richly layered scenes populated by fictional female figures. These characters are often composed from elements of her own body, encounters, photographs, and observations, becoming reflections of both personal and shared experiences.
Van Creij-Callender places her fictional characters within carefully staged interiors and garden scenes. Recurring motifs such as windows, mirrors, and chessboards introduce multiple perspectives and reflect her interest in navigating between cultures, histories, and different versions of the self. Through vivid colors, symbolic details, and layered compositions, she weaves together memory, imagination, and lived experience. Her works invite viewers into symbolic worlds that reflect on identity, cultural heritage, and the relationships that shape who we are.
