6 jacquard woven tapestries, 1 vintage chaise lounge in braided rattan & wicker and a 4-channel audio piece.

Materials: Cotton, wool, recycled polyester.

Size: 109 x 156 cm per textile piece (6 in total).

When artistic director Margriet Schavemaker and chief curator Imara Limon invited me to create an ode for the exhibition ‘Women of Amsterdam - an Ode’ (Dec 12 2024 - June 1, 2025) at Amsterdam Museum, I chose to make a work to someone not known but someone in the local community, an ode to a friend and the fellow woman Thea Bakker (1951-2023).

Thea underwent a long journey toward self-acceptance. In the 1970s she was active in the Transvestism and Transsexuality Working Group in Amsterdam. In this work I contemplate on topics such as loss, gender, identity, equality, kindness, and truly seeing one another.

Through sound and textile, this installation offers a multi-sensory experience, inviting visitors to reflect on identity, equality, and human connection. By honouring the life of Thea, the work serves as a poetic meditation on resilience, agency, and the significance of being seen and heard.

Partition #9 (sphere for Thea) is an immersive room installation inspired by Thea and the values she embodied and the artist's intersectional view on society. At its center is Thea's ‘music chair,’ symbolising listening, contemplation, and self-expression. Surrounding the chair, a 4-channel sound piece unfolds, developed from the artist's memories and interviews with those closest to Thea. This composition reflects a love of music and storytelling, creating an intimate and thought-provoking atmosphere.

In addition to sound, the installation features 6 jacquard-woven textiles. (Day)light colors on one side and ‘midnight blues’ on the other. The patterns are built up from photographs of Thea’s emptied home, symbolic circles, lifelines and important routes between Thea and her loved ones. This work embraces both the light and the dark elements, embracing the complexities of life.

One never works solo:
A warm heartfelt thank you to Thea’s family and friends, especially to Ella Witjes & Ans Zandee.

Special thank you to Niels Albers, Ben Braasem, Caspar Stalenhoef, Natalia Domínguez Rangel, Brenda Bosma, Jean-Marc Mathy, Folkert van der Hoek, Karolina & Robin at EE Exclusive, Josephine Monen and Thank You to the whole team of Amsterdam Museum.

Lastly, thank you to AFK - Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst & Mondriaan Fonds for their generous support.

Photography: Peter Tijhuis