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Caroline Westerhout

Caroline Westerhout (Weert, 1970) studied Reproduction Drawing at the Graphic Lyceum in Eindhoven. After her studies she started working as a graphic designer. Around 2000 she started to delve into oil paint, which, through various emotional experiences and practice, resulted in a strong, own style. Caroline uses that style to study, understand and express emotions, often through her own face. Caroline Westerhout's oeuvre often consists of portraits, but not in the traditional sense of the word.

Although she is an avid practitioner and lover of classical painting techniques, she finds it exciting to engage in the experiment. This gives her work an undeniably contemporary look. She alternates figuration with raw, abstract elements, she plays with deformation and perspective. She also finds it interesting to create duality in terms of paint skin: refined, realistic parts of the face - eyes and mouths - in combination with coarse keys and strokes and less elaborate surfaces. This combination of styles and techniques creates movement, emotion and an exciting alienation.

With her work, she invites her audience to participate in her analysis of emotions, the way she feels and understands them. The spectator is drawn into this quest and finds the answers that suit him or her. One can try to look behind someone else's skin, but will never really succeed. Caroline joins other artists, such as Cindy Sherman, who also reminds us of our prejudices. Her theme is timeless and with her amazing technical skills, her work has a universal appeal. The penetrating eyes and transparency of human skin are painted so lifelike that the characters seem to come to life.

Education

Reproductie Tekenen op het Grafisch Lyceum in Eindhoven

Solo exhibitions (selected)

Krasnapolsky - Amsterdam
Mea vulva expositie (door heel nederland)
About 15 paintings. Ootmarsum, Netherlands (oktober 2013-16 maart 2014)

Group Exhibitions (selected)

Between flesh and bones - Cyprus. 2019
Duo expositie met Eddy Stevens & Caroline Westerhout, Morren Galleries, november 2019 - januari 2020 
BVBA Sabine van Paemel, Leke Dijksmuide, België, april 2016 - mei 2016
Kunst in de Korenstraat, Apeldoorn - Nederland, 2010

Collections

Morren Galleries, Utrecht - Nederland
AFK Galeria, Lissabon - Portugal
De twee pauwen, Den Haag - Nederland
Galerie Hans Persoon, Eersel -  Nederland
Lieve Lambrecht, Merendree - België
Sabine van Paemel, Leke - België

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