About the artist

Ciska van der Meer,
Alkmaar, Nederland, 1971

The studio of artist Ciska van der Meer is located in the artists’ village of Bergen. Her name evokes that of the famous Dutch painter Vermeer, yet her inspiration is not drawn specifically from traditional Dutch painting tradition. Rather than cool colours and meticulously rendered details, her work is characterised by warm Mediterranean tones and an impressionistic touch. Her main sources of inspiration are found in the France of Van Gogh, Monet, Matisse and Léger. In addition, she has been living for the past five years in the Italian Dolomites.

This unique combination of places forms a constant source of inspiration for her work.

Background

Ciska van der Meer graduated in 1993 from the Rotterdam Academy of Fine Arts. Immediately afterwards, driven purely by interest, she devoted herself to the study of Art and Cultural Studies at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. Painting, however, remained her great passion, and in 1996 she established herself as an artist and designer in Amsterdam.

Since then, she has enjoyed a continuous flow of commissions for paintings, designs, screen prints and murals. The paintings she creates as autonomous work

largely find their way directly from her studio to collectors and enthusiasts. Her work can now be found in various ministries and in corporate collections of Deutsche Bank, Citibank, ABN AMRO and Rabobank. Her art also travels the world’s seas: her paintings are on display aboard the famous cruise ship Queen Elizabeth 2 and on the Prinsendam of the Holland America Line. In addition, her works are owned by numerous private collectors in the Netherlands and abroad.

Blossoms and Autumn

With a loose, expressive brushstroke, Van der Meer depicts blossoming spring branches in bright colours and richly hued autumn leaves on generously sized canvases.

An abstract division of the background into two colours lends the compositions an additional modern dimension. These monumental works bring a sense of grandeur to any space, whether modern or traditional in style.

Landscapes, Sea and Sand

As a passionate sailor, she spent many hours on the Wadden Sea. The impressions she gathered there are reflected in an extensive series of small impressionistic paintings in which she captured the Wadden landscape in all its facets and vibrant colours. In her recent Wadden series, she explores the play of light on flowing water, the constant movement of depths and shallows, hidden sandbanks and shifting currents.

Sunlight refracts differently every second: in rhythmic sparkle, in streaks of gold, in gentle stillness. In her more abstract seascapes, she seeks to capture these fleeting moments—not as the eye sees them, but as her soul experiences them.

Horses

Horses are another source of inspiration for this versatile artist. Van der Meer prefers to capture the power and beauty of these noble animals in monumental canvases, which usually find their way into private collections.

Commissions

iska regularly works on commission for both private clients and companies. She is guided by the location, the atmosphere and the client’s wishes in order to create a work that not only fits its setting, but truly enriches the space or occasion. Her art lends interiors, publications and corporate gifts a unique and personal character.

Exhibitions

Works by Ciska van der Meer have previously been exhibited at:

• Galerie De Vis - Harlingen
• Galerie Villa des Beaux Arts - Heeze
• Galerie Kunst + Co - Amstelveen