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Brightly coloured works that appear playful yet carry enigmatic undertones characterize the practice of Reinier Landwehr (1992). Moving fluidly between disciplines, he continually seeks ways to combine lightness with friction. At Prospects, Landwehr presents three new ceramic sculptures inspired by dreams and nightmares. This theme has run through his work for many years: he is drawn to the dream as a realm without fixed rules, where time and logic are suspended. His sculptures evoke this boundless space through hybrid forms that allude to nature and to something bodily. They sometimes resemble plants; other times entrails. These are images that raise questions about what we actually perceive.
Landwehr works intuitively, allowing room for surprise. Sketches serve as a point of departure, but the process ultimately determines the outcome. Working with ceramics enables him to translate his visual language from two into three dimensions. It compels the artist – originally trained as an illustrator – to consider all aspects of a work: the front, back, and sides. This physical presence turns the sculptures into objects that invite close engagement and careful examination. Larger than his earlier works, these new sculptures are constructed from stacked ceramic elements and finished with glazes in vivid colours. The colours draw the eye, but on closer inspection, an underlying sense of threat emerges. This creates a play in which familiarity shifts into enigma – a world that is not easy to fathom.
Written by Sarah van Binsbergen