Aline Thomassen (1964, Maastricht) creates larger-than-life figurative paintings of women. She draws her inspiration from the real stories of people she meets, feelings she feels or experiences she has. Thomassen lives and works in the Netherlands and Morocco, finding much of her inspiration in Morocco in particular. She experiences Moroccan culture as accessible and pure, partly due to the imagery used in the Arabic language. Morocco is where she learned to view life in its entirety, with both sweet and bitter days.

I am You- You are Me

In her solo exhibition I Am You - You Are Me, Thomassen lays bare often undiscussed feelings. Her women, who are not actual women, are nonconformist and self-assured. They disregard expectations and beauty ideals, expressing what they feel. If not the colours or shapes, the scale of the women is bound to draw the viewer in. 

Landscapes of emotions

Thomassen evolved as an artist at a time when conceptual and rational art was dominant. In Thomassen’s watercolours, experiences and emotions come alive, embodied on paper in the female form. This does not mean that the experiences or emotions are only relatable for women. There is more within every human being that may be suppressed by society. Thomassen’s work shows the pure and honest side of being human. She places attention on themes such as life, birth, conflict, mortality, emotions, lust and death. The fact that she places a priority on emotions makes her work special.

Thomassen’s work arises intuitively: the colours, the scale, the shapes, the objects into which her forms dissolve. In her studio, she lets go of all the expectations of the art world and society. She often starts with a face or expression, and as she draws the lines on paper – going by her feeling alone – a woman automatically appears. Slowly, she engages with the character about the important things in life. Thomassen sometimes uses natural elements to convey the conversations she has with ‘her women’. Her works are all untitled because she wants the viewer to decide for themselves how they make them feel.