Collection: Hiske Hilgenga

I am a visual artist from the Netherlands and graduated from the Minerva Art Academy in Groningen in 1998.

My art deals with the theme of "handwriting."

I started as an abstract painter, trying to breathe life into mostly mathematical forms – turning science into poetry, if you will.

Then came the sneaker. I've always had a soft spot for a rather rugged, distinctive look – both in others and in myself. The sight of sneakers fulfilled this visual, almost physical attraction for me. Today, I don't just look at them; I also use them as a central element in my art.

I am fascinated by the directness and often the exaggeration of many sneaker designs. It's great to fully concentrate on these forms when painting.

For me, painting means transformation. In the end, however, a work needs an image – an image that stands on its own, forms its own self-contained world, regardless of where it all began.

The biggest challenge is to remain connected to both the starting point and what develops in the process. The finished image should be the answer to precisely this tension.

My goal is to create androgenous-looking images – an object that is something, but could also be something else at the same time.

Not too literal, but still: a sneaker.
I consciously move within this duality.