In my visual work, the experience of life is central. In the hustle and bustle of today’s world, where we are often consumed by busy schedules and obligations, we sometimes forget how important it is to pause for a moment. It is precisely in those moments of stillness – when you walk, take in the surroundings, or simply take the time to breathe – that you can truly open your senses. You hear the subtle sounds around you, smell the fresh air, or feel the texture of the world that you normally don’t notice. This heightened awareness often lingers in your memory, even when you return to your daily routines.

The memory of these moments, that ‘strong sense of time and place,’ forms the core of my work. These are not literal depictions of reality, but reinterpretations aimed at capturing the essence of an experience, a feeling. In my art, I let these emotions speak by transforming them visually into images that evoke the atmosphere and emotion of a particular moment. Thus, a translation of reality into feeling is created, a tribute to the small, often inexpressible wonders of everyday life.

Merel graduated in 2012 from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp (BA, painting) and in 2015 from Erasmus University Rotterdam (M.A. in Cultural Sciences). She also obtained a teaching qualification at the School of Arts in 2021.