By Lucien de Prez
Delft, 25/2/2022
Shahaila Winklaar, you are an artist living in Holland. Your work is are a long way from home. Why is your work exposed in Singapore?
From Delft to Singapore is quite a distance indeed. I make my work in my hometown Delft, an old Dutch city founded in 1246. A few years ago I teamed up with Margin Art and due to them my artwork is seeing and traveling places. This is the first time it is to be seen outside Europe and I am very proud it is in Singapore. I think the fact is my artwork is not a painting nor a sculpture but finds itself in between those disciplines makes my work stand out. My abstracted line-art is interesting wether you’re interested in art history or not. Our human brain is programmed that we look for something we know, we recognize. So if you look at my line-art you might recognize an other classic artwork.
You have different artworks. What artwork do you like the most?
I am especially fond of my version of the Venus as it is one of my first abstracted artwork. I travelled to the Louvre in Paris to see the Venus of Milo with my own eyes. Actually I saw all my inspired paintings in person. It helps me to find the quintessence of the painting or statue. Of course it is a real big advantage also to work in museums like the Mauritshuis and museum Boijmans van Beuningen with impressive collections.
You are really creative. What more do you make ?
My wall -objects are inspired by western cultural heritage. I also have two jewelry lines. One is inspired by western art-history and the other is a limited edition of jewelry inspired by native drawings by the Cacquetio, my ancestors and the original inhabitants of Aruba and Curacao, former Dutch colonies where my roots are. Now and then I make limited, exclusive handmade editions like tote-bags, saving banks or handprinted tablecloths, napkins and cards. For museums and other cultural organizations I work on commission.
Your work is traveling across over oceans now. Would you like to expose your work more often abroad and if so, why?
Oh yes! My work was exposed in Germany and It is very exiting to embark my work from my hometown Delft. In the 17th century Delft was very wealthy due to the Dutch trade in people and goods. But the Dutch heritage is also a colonial heritage, so it is important to be seen from different perspectives. This darker Dutch heritage has its traces in Afrika, Asia and the Caribbean. As the Dutch heritage has a very dark side and I love to work with the blackest paint available to artists. This intense black paint absorbs 98% of the light.
Your artwork can be perceived as figurative but also as abstracted. What is the message of your artwork?
Actually I think it is not up to me to decide what is to be seen by the viewer. What I hope for is that my work starts a conversation about perspectives.