MUNTHE ART MONDAY: FARIA VAN CREIJ-CALLENDER

Please introduce yourself and tell us about what you do.

My name is Faria van Creij-Callender (1998), a painter fascinated by layers and duality. Through my compositions I delve into the intertwining aspects of my Surinamese and Dutch background, as well as exploring themes of love and queerness. Through symbolism and historical elements, my paintings convey through the multiplexity of oil paint layers, the idea that as a person of mixed race, one can undergo endless evolution.

Can you name some other female (artist) that inspires you and explain why they do so?

Safae Gounane, a talented artist with a sharp eye for dynamic scenes and visual storytelling.

Shani Leseman, her colours, directness, fun ways of forming her figures.

Danielle Mckinney, her ways of painting black skin very much inspire me. The warmth that comes through, the red tones, and the dreaminess that lives in her work.

Faria is wearing Liandra knit.

Could you explain more about how being a woman has affected your career?

As a brown cis- femme queer woman, my multifaceted self comes forward in various aspects in my career. Embracing my femininity serves to reconnect with my authentic self, as it influences how I choose to express myself on canvas or in everyday life.

Faria is wearing Lachlan pants.

What has been the most challenging aspect of being a female artist?

I’ve experienced the rarity of encountering women with similar backgrounds represented in the art world. It highlights the significance of showcasing how all my identities can blend into a vibrant palette of colors, inspiring other young queer and brown creatives to also make work which represents our story.

What would you like people to notice in your artwork?

By combining historical techniques with my present-day experiences, I aim to offer the viewer, alongside myself, the possibility to reconsider their existing beliefs about how their own persona came to be. The facets and cultural significances that shape us into who we are today deserve this further deep dive, as it can open new possibilities for refining our understanding of ourselves and others.