Victoria Verbaan
Victoria Verbaan is an artist who creates a playful, challenging and powerful collection for Heinen Delfts Blauw. She gets her inspiration from the world around her, especially the women who play a role in it. “My goal is to paint women who all represent something different, but they are all fiercely optimistic, surreal and full of dreams.” This results in a collection for Heinen Delfts Blauw that is sure to command attention.
Communication through images
“Painting and illustration have always played an important role in my life, it is my means of communication,” Victoria Verbaan says from her studio in South Africa. The friendly town of Kloof, with its winding roads and tall trees, makes a fine base for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Durban. “It forces me to observe and take in everything interesting. It helps me move forward with a sense of freedom, in a world where visual stimuli often overwhelm us.”
“With my work I celebrate women and capture the beauty of all women.”
Finding that peace amid a continuous stream of stimuli is something Victoria taught herself. “I set myself the challenge of making an illustration every day and I dedicated myself to this for four years. It was actually a kind of therapy. I focused on expressing my personal experiences, emotions and thoughts which in turn became a way for me to let go of something, explore something, plow through it and move forward.” Thus, this personal devotional quest is a recurring theme in Victoria's work. “With my work, I want to give women a positive image to remind them that phases in life come and go. I want to give them a reminder to take a moment to reflect on yourself and realize that everything will be okay. Difficulties are not there to destroy you, but rather to help you reach your highest potential. With my work, I celebrate women and capture the beauty of all women. Kindness, strength, passion and compassion. I want to remind every woman: you are all these things too!”
Finger swift and fluent painting
To get her feelings on paper, the South African artist likes to work with ink. “I always work with a certain kind of ink because this ink is 'fast' and therefore the result is always a surprise for me as well. I never want my work to feel overworked. Thanks to my daily practice for four years, I have mastered the forms well and can also work quickly. I also use a technique where I turn the image upside down and paint upside down. This causes your brain to stop seeing what it thinks it should see, a kind of blind spot so to speak, and so I can better focus on the actual form.”
Internationally beloved
In terms of experience, Victoria has an impressive resume. After studying Fine Arts at the University of Cape Town and Advertising & Design at the Red & Yellow School of Logic and Magic, she held a variety of design jobs in Cape Town before starting up for herself. “You can find my art on my own website, but I also have international distributors in Europe, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and America. Think companies like Junique, Poster Store, Desenio, Drawdeck and Kline Gallery. I have also collaborated with companies like Woolworths and Mr. Price and now, therefore, with Heinen Delfts Blauw.”
Dutch roots and traditions
“I have always loved and admired Heinen Delfts Blauw's work,” Victoria looks back on her life. “My father is Dutch. My grandparents emigrated from Haarlem to South Africa when they were in their early twenties, so Dutch traditions have always played an important role in our lives. Thanks to my aunt, I started making ceramics at an early age, because she was a ceramics teacher. I have always greatly appreciated that craft. Over the years, I have collected pieces from Heinen Delfts Blauw and after visiting their factory, I was so enthusiastic that we started a collaboration. Our collection is aimed at strong, confident women. I kept them elegant, but also tough.”
“I want you to smile and recognize something about yourself. Your alter ego, your superpower, your playful side, your sexy side... Life is art, you are art!”
“Heinen Delfts Blauw is progressive and I love that they are giving new life to the traditional approach to Delftware by collaborating with different artists and giving them the freedom to put their stamp on it. The result is surprising, modern and fresh, and still has the characteristic features of Delftware.” Something Victoria also sees reflected in her own collection. “Every piece in this collection means something. My work is a reflection of you, whether it's in the title or in a particular piece. I want you to smile and recognize something about yourself. Your alter ego, your superpower, your playful side, your sexy side... Life is art, you are art! And art is storytelling and with this collection I can be a voice in that, calling you to start seeing the beauty in yourself.”
