A WOR(L)D AND THE THING(S) IT DESCRIBES . . . 

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Dutch-born artist Aafke De Jong (1971) implements in an associative way a wide range of themes in her work that usually forms a fluid blend between dance/movement, performance and other kinds of (visual) arts. Sometimes her work is site specific. 

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De Jong spent five years of her life in Indonesia - mostly on Bali -

to study and work. This influence is often, but not always in a

direct way, visible in her work.

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Beneath you can learn more about what inspires De Jong and how she implements her vision on various aspects of life.

Also she makes drawings and 3-dimensional artwork.

Some of it is shown here on this website.

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A CONVERSATION

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By trying to ask herself socially, culturally, politically or historically relevant questions about themes like multiculturalism, discrimina-tion, environmental issues etc. she looks for ways to lead the focus

of the audience and allows it (the audience) to think, wonder, worry

or smile with her. She finds it important, though, to leave enough 

space for her audience to make up it's own answers and associations or perhaps even raise more questions.

She hopes that her work can be looked upon as a 'conversation' between people - an exchange of thoughts, feelings and ideas.

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THE ULTIMATE SENSE  OF FREEDOM:

AN EMPY SPACE OR A BLANK SHEET OF PAPER

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On another level processes and patterns that can be found in nature and science are encouraging for De Jong to create artwork (see e.g. her solo What Thoughts Are Made Of). Since childhood she has a fascination for the repetitive patterns found in the graphic work of M.C. Escher, who combined art, nature and science. She also enjoys visiting museums, architectural interesting sites or landscapes in her spare time finding inspiration in simply 'being' in an interesting surrounding, allowing her thoughts to come to the surface. 

To De Jong the ultimate sense of freedom is an empty space or a blank piece of paper.

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The ambiguity of 'belonging' to this place we call earth on the one hand and on the other sometimes feeling 'detached' from her 

surroundings is also characteristic to De Jong's life and work. 

The discrepancy between the two worlds - what we choose to show

to the outside world and what we prefer to keep to ourselves - never stops intriguing De Jong. In her work she shows a desire to always equally "give the floor" to the two sides of the coin (see e.g. ITCH I and ITCH II). In short, the 'simple' fact of being alive is enough reason for De Jong to produce new work.

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CHOCOLATE COOKIES AND FAMILY MATTERS

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Already during her childhood De Jong preferably spent her days drawing, making sculptures and writing short poems. About every month she would change the complete look of her room by arranging things found on her parents attic. During her high school years she started making theatre and painting exhibitions and in the summer holidays she wrote scripts, created dance and costumes and made stage settings for her family members (not everyone of them joining 

'voluntarily'). Her sister, singer songwriter and theatre maker 

Hanneke de Jong (see also De Jong De Witte) by that early age started writing the music and songs for these small events.

These 'happenings' often ended up involving the inhabitants of the little villages in France, Italy or Spain, where the family went for the holidays. The villagers could get a ticket in exchange for a chocolate cookie or another local delicacy.

Also nowadays the two sisters sometimes create performances (e.g. Eitulovni) and give workshops together.

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MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES STRENGTHENING EACH OTHER

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De Jong finds most joy in making or designing all needs for a performance herself, including costumes and stage setting. 

Upon recommendation of her high school teachers at first she

would attend art school to become an illustrator or painter. 

Instead De Jong choose a professional education in dance, but never gave up drawing and painting. The idea of theatre functioning as a vessel for interdisciplinary art forms was simply more appealing to De Jong. Her preference for visual art often makes her approaching dance like a sculptor in space.

 

During times of hypnotic stillness in her performances she hopes to create a situation where performer(s) and audience feel united, be it for just a few seconds. These moments of tranquility will be disrupted from time to time by short and sudden outbursts. This is also a given found in the theatre and dance of Bali (Indonesia), where De Jong lived and worked for a long time and is a sign of the 'two worlds' usually hidden in De Jong's work. 

To De Jong all art disciplines in fact sprout from a similar necessity and communicate in a similar way, only using different media. Perhaps therefor it is not a coincidence that De Jong feels so attracted to the culture of Bali, where many artists are often also dancers, musicians, singers, painters and sculptors at the same time.