1116171, 2017

Katinka Lampe (1963, The Netherlands) paints children's portraits, depicting her young models with great precision and a sense of beauty. As she searches for the image she has in mind, Lampe photographs models in particular poses. These photographs, together with images found in newspapers, magazines and art history, form the basis of her paintings.
In her work Lampe often enters the current political fray, denouncing phenomena such as extremism, racism and intolerance. In her recent painting 1116171, Lampe portrays a Chinese girl who was abandoned as a baby because of her albinism. Later, she was adopted in the Netherlands. The girl radiates such perfection and innocence that it is almost an unreal depiction. While Lampe's works very much refer to our world, these are not images faithful to nature; rather, they are an illusion. The artist sets us thinking about our own perception and at the same time lets us experience a very different reality.
Lampe's work has been exhibited in the Arnhem Museum, among others, and is included in various collections, including Museum Van Loon and Museum More.