Etel Adnan, Vincent Van Gogh: kleur als taal = colour as language

Abstract

Etel Adnan often takes the landscape as a starting point in her visual art. Like Vincent van Gogh, she tries to transfer the power of nature to the canvas with her own color palette and painting style. For Adnan, her paintings, as with Van Gogh, bridge the limitations of language. She found in her visual art a visual language that transcends cultural boundaries. Adnan's paintings predominate in the exhibition Color as Language. Her often simplified landscapes with intense colors and abstract shapes enter into a dialogue with a number of Van Gogh's works. In addition, her leporellos - so-called harmonica booklets for which Adnan is known, tapestries and literary work are on display. Adnan's unique life story is also discussed. For nearly a century she moved between different cultures and languages. The implications of growing up with a multicultural background are explored. How did this shape her life and is it reflected in her art? Etel Adnan (1925-2021) only broke through with her paintings at the age of 87. She has already made a name for herself internationally with her literature and poetry. Adnan was an unconventional, intriguing artist, philosopher, writer, painter and activist. She grew up in Beirut, studied in Paris and California, and lived and worked in both places for years. She passed away on 14 November 2021 at the age of 96, during the preparations for this retrospective in the Van Gogh Museum.

Contents

Etel Adnan - Vincent van Gogh -- De bevrijding van kleur / Sara Tas -- In gesprek met Etel Adnan : beschouwingen over Vincent van Gogh -- Schilderen als pure energie / Simone Fattal.