Christie van der Haak

Christie van der Haak (b. 1950) gained fame in the 1980s with paintings of madonnas, partly painted over with ornaments. Ornament has been a constant in her work ever since. From 2003, she shifted from painting to designing textile patterns. She first extracts fragments from her paintings, later creating specific patterns for autonomous artworks such as tapestries and rugs, as well as for furniture and wall coverings. The design starts with a postcard-sized drawing, which is mirrored and coloured in the computer.

Van der Haak says: ‘Every day I make drawings that show with two mirrors what the pattern will look like. Each angle gives a different insight, which creates dizzying spaces and can transform buildings.’

For her, a pattern is more than decoration; it is a drawing with its own meaning that reflects the history of the place. The same pattern can change your perception of a space by changing the colours.

Nest ruimte voor kunst
ExhibitionsEvents
Nest

Christie van der Haak

–

A collaboration between Atelier Rijksbouwmeester and Nest in the Palace of Justice

External location

Note: this exhibition does not take place at Nest, but at the Palace of Justice in The Hague.

Artist
Curator
  • Daphne Verberg

People are rarely enjoy spending time in the waiting area of the Palace of Justice. A case hearing or verdict can mark a turning point in someone's life. In an attempt to make the waiting area a more pleasant place, artist Christie van der Haak has developed new patterns. Executed as wallpaper and wall tapestries, they add warmth to the space.

The current environment of concrete walls, wooden panelling and beige carpet takes on a different character with the addition of the artworks. The textile tapestries add softness and the patterns around the pillars break the rigid look of the waiting room. The work shows what motifs, colours and lines do to a space. Christie's aim is to use the patterns to create a universally appealing work of art. The artwork lifts the space and she hopes it will take people out of their daily troubles.

Christie van der Haak in the second in a series of eight artists with a solo presentation at the Palace of Justice, and is curated by Daphne Verberg. The exhibitions are the result of a collaboration between Atelier Rijksbouwmeester and Nest. You can read more about this project here.

Related to “Christie van der Haak”