Versteeg (1990), a queer visual artist, fearlessly explores the realm of self-expression, using his artistic prowess to celebrate and shed light on queer identity. Through a diverse range of mediums and an unapologetic approach, Versteeg weaves together thought-provoking narratives that challenge societal norms and creates space for dialogue and understanding.
Born and raised in Drunen, Versteeg discovered his passion for art at a young age. Versteeg always liked dressing up, playing imaginative games, and making up stories in his mind. Being brought up in safe surroundings and with a family who’s always accepted him for who he is, Versteeg had the space to develop his creativity further. After graduating from art school Versteeg started his own studio in 2013 in Rotterdam.
Growing up as a queer individual, Versteeg often found solace and empowerment in artistic expression. Versteeg began to view their creative journey as a platform for personal and collective transformation. Embracing a multitude of mediums, from make-up, film, pho
Suspension IV - Practices of BDSM survive from some of the oldest textual records in the world, associated with rituals to the goddess Inanna. Inanna describes cross-dressing transformations and rituals “imbued with pain and ecstasy, bringing about initiation and journeys of altered states of consciousness.
This series was inspired by the Fetish and BDSM culture of the Queer and LGBTQIA+ community. This culture is often viewed as a subculture mainly because BDSM is often still regarded as “unusual” by some of the public. A scene that is rarely accepted by the heteronormative society or the lgbtqia+ scene itself. Many people hide their learning from society since they are afraid of incomprehension and of social exclusion.
I see these practices as an example of “aesthetic sexuality”, in which a founding physiological or psychological impulse is irrelevant. Rather, sadism and masochism may be practiced through choice and deliberation, driven by certain aesthetic goals tied to style, pleasure, and identity. These practices, in certain circumstances and contexts, can be compared with the creation of art.
A lady devoured, but not consumed, 2022 - She is fascinated by the interstice between liminal worlds and her work is a continuous exploration of the lived experience of traversing ‘in-between’ cultures, identities, reality, and fantasy.
She’s a woman on a mission: reclamation is a central theme interweaved in every aspect of her being and expressed through her work; in a world that does not see you, a world that has no space for you, how do you reclaim space, how do you reclaim yourself?
Through exploring a plethora of multidimensional personas and alter egos in her work as a model/muse/performance artist, she subverts and transcends the one-dimensional stereotypes that so often plague Asian women in western media as either meek or submissive madame Butterfly or a mean and domineering Dragonlady. Creative expression has become a way for her to step into her own power.
In our collaboration, we researched Xiang’s love for latex fabrics in an unconventional way, with the amazing creations of balloon artist TimnotSimon.
Dune, 2022
Reservoir of human Darkness, 2020 - When I was younger I suffered from night terrors and had a recurring nightmare for about a year. Today, I still cannot explain this dream or harmonize it with meaning.
Early civilizations thought dreams had prophetic power as if they were messages between the gods and life on earth. Mid-twentieth century Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung had formulated some of the most well-known theories about dreams and dreaming in western society. Freud’s theory of dreams centered around the notion of repressed longing. However, Jung argued that dreams are our conscious and subconscious minds accommodating each other.
Within the western scientific research that has been done, we neither grasp the reason why we dream nor do we comprehend the meaning of dreams. This leaves room for interpretation. One might say that we are all fragmented and divided, and knowingly or not, we’re all searching for our souls. The conventional, outer world has structure and order. But within us is an entirely different world, the unconscious. In the beginning, we are mostly asleep. Society conditions our consciousness. And so we remain unconscious to our true self for at least the first half of life.
By visualizing the memory of a dream I am transforming night terrors into aesthetic images and I am redesigning hypothetical hidden messages of my subconscious. This allows me to reflect on coincidence, spirituality, and visions you have of who and what you are to become.
Just stop Oil – Vase with twelve sunflowers – 2023 - JUST STOP OIL!
Tomato soup, mashed potatoes. Glue and red glop.
In 2022 activist protests have been focused on widely admired art, carried out by protestors demanding action on climate change. While wearing t-shirts with anti-oil slogans, the activists target masterpieces that are so valuable and one-of-a-kind, to get one message across. Unless industrialized nations act quickly and radically to cut carbon emissions and stop all new oil and gas projects, the world will fall to pieces.
None of the works targeted have had lasting damage as many are covered by glass. The climate activists are seemingly targeting the most famous works not to damage them, but to draw media attention to the lasting damage of the climate crisis. Directors of musea and galleries around the world are “deeply shaken” by the attacks. The activists throw mashed potatoes, tomato soup, and other substances on the artworks and glue themselves on the walls or the frames of the artworks. Most galleries and musea are being tight-lipped about the attacks, to avoid more attention to the protests.
Do I not condone the attacks on the artworks, it surely raises the question of what is valuable, and how this relates to general social issues. For this series, we choose to replicate some famous artworks and photograph them in an all-black on-black, oil-covered setting.
Felt Cute Might Delete Later – Tong-Twister, 2023 - The series “Felt Cute Might Delete Later”, draws inspiration from the modern phenomenon of self-expression and ephemeral digital content. In this project, the aim is to explore the transient nature of self-representation and the evolving identity in the age of social media. By combining the artistic medium of self-portraiture with the ubiquitous online trend, this series delves into the complexities of self-perception, and authenticity.
The self-portraits in this series serve as a means for self-exploration, enabling the artist to reflect upon his own vulnerability, self-image, and quest for external validation. The series delves into the underlying societal pressures and expectations that influence self-portrayal on social media. It critically examines the tension between authenticity and performance.
By embracing the “Felt Cute, Might Delete Later” ethos, the series captures the nuanced emotions and multi-faceted nature of self-perception. The series seeks to provoke thought, spark conversation, and encourage viewers to reflect upon their own experiences within the digital landscape.
Felt Cute Might Delete Later – Nellie Nijlpaard, 2023 - The series “Felt Cute Might Delete Later”, draws inspiration from the modern phenomenon of self-expression and ephemeral digital content. In this project, the aim is to explore the transient nature of self-representation and the evolving identity in the age of social media. By combining the artistic medium of self-portraiture with the ubiquitous online trend, this series delves into the complexities of self-perception, and authenticity.
The self-portraits in this series serve as a means for self-exploration, enabling the artist to reflect upon his own vulnerability, self-image, and quest for external validation. The series delves into the underlying societal pressures and expectations that influence self-portrayal on social media. It critically examines the tension between authenticity and performance.
By embracing the “Felt Cute, Might Delete Later” ethos, the series captures the nuanced emotions and multi-faceted nature of self-perception. The series seeks to provoke thought, spark conversation, and encourage viewers to reflect upon their own experiences within the digital landscape.
