Summary

(written by ANNA herself, 2013)

Since 1988 I’ve been working as a visual artist / designer / illustrator, combining approaches from different fields. In my professional practice, venturing beyond the borders of one specific discipline, I’ve developed several lines and bodies of work. Cross-discipline explorations, constant development and curiosity about world and culture are very important to me.

My practice is based on conceptual approach, research and experimentations. Through critical thinking and user-centerd design process, I develop visual concepts with emphasis on human emotion and imagination. My interests involve interdisciplinary methodologies: material culture/collecting, anthropology, semiotics and iconography.

I believe that art and design lie at the heart of the innovative process of developing and strengthening socially engaged and sharing society. Being interested in social issues and because I think that the knowledge sharing is a key factor in reshaping our everyday life, I’m interested in collaborations with specialists from other disciplines. In the current climate of financial cuts the innovative ways of problem solving and flexible thinking are specially important and even more so in urban areas.

In my creative practice I was involved in design in the public space projects, which were focusing on the connection between people and the place, their participation, memory and reflection. Other work which addressed social issues was a long collaboration with The Netherlands Institute for Care and Welfare and the housing corporation WBR, where I was working was mainly for urban renewal related projects.

I think that social inclusion is very important for the well-being and artists/designers have here a special role to fulfill, not with the end product in the scope, but aiming for construction of new thinking. During my art and design practice I’ve worked as well as a teacher on Graphic Design Department at the St. Joost Academy in Breda and at the Art Academy in ‘s-Hertgenbosch (foundation year). The teaching experience was very enriching and important for my own development. On the base of that experience, I’m developing for the teaching purpose the package of design study courses/exercises stressing concept development, image development on the base of given content and use of color in image construction; in form and meaning.