Klaartje van Essen works with materials such as plaster and wax, which she pours, layers, and applies until fragile, painterly, and sculptural forms emerge. For her annual edition, which is part of the Distributors series, van Essen mixes warm, liquid wax together with cold plaster and pours it into Styrofoam and cardboard packaging; these molds are leftovers that she finds in public spaces or at her studio and then recycles. When the two materials meet, they react to each other: they repel, connect in some parts, and solidify into a form that is neither entirely planned nor completely random. Each work is the unique result of a short yet intense process.
The title Distributors alludes to the internal structure of these forms, but also to their connection to the invisible networks of energy and movement, such as electricity, heat, or air, that flow through spaces. They are traces of their own creation, of a moment in which matter organizes itself—fragile intersections of plaster, wax, and time. By using just a few materials that affect one another during production, van Essen raises questions about value, use, and cycles.
In concrete terms, the series of works is reminiscent of distribution boxes. Sometimes the sculptures are placed on the walls of exhibition rooms, along or connected to electricity and gas lines; at other times, they appear freestanding in the room, thus widening the view to distribution networks in public space. The annual editions leave open the question of which type they are—their size is reminiscent of the former, but their positioning seems to refer more to public distribution boxes.
In the duo exhibition Erosion Arranged: we sink, I stretch, you flow, van Essen placed a distributor in dialogue with the GAK’s space and the works of Monique S. Desto.
Klaartje van Essen (*1998, lives in Amsterdam) studied at De Ateliers, Amsterdam, and HKU, Utrecht, Netherlands. Her works have recently been shown in exhibitions at Omstand, Arnhem, Netherlands (2024); Cobra Museum, Amstelveen, Netherlands (2024); De Ateliers, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2024); Woonhuis, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2023); EXboot, Utrecht, Netherlands (2023); Personeelskamer, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2023); and Espace Aygo, Brussels, Belgium (2022).
Annual Editions 2025
Klaartje van Essen
Distributor Series 8
2025
Wax, plaster, cardboard
20 x 11 x 15 cm
5 unique pieces
with certificate
between 550,- und 750,- incl. 7% VAT