Ciska de Hartogh

Ciska de Hartogh, who studied 3D monumental art in South Africa and the Netherlands, creates works of art that are more than purely aesthetic lines and streamlined forms. Her 'social sculptures' embody an idea about an underlying social issue that influences the overall quality of life. Central to her work as a visual artist is her involvement with the world. More specifically, the question of how man relates to himself and the world around him. De Hartogh's work is thematic, with the subject determining the visualization. With her artistic expressions she wants to address social problems, themes in which she is or has been personally involved, such as poverty, illness, a sustainable society and nature, but also mental resilience, trauma treatment and the question how people deal psychologically with life experiences, both positive and negative. If it is necessary to speak of your own signature or specific signature, then this is mainly determined by the content or theme, in which Ciska looks for the most suitable visual expression. As a result, there is a great diversity of visual expressions in her artworks. De Hartogh's work as an "art activist" initiated the Love Life festival in The Hague and received much media attention. In 2013, De Hartogh launched an interactive social sculpture project in the field of nature conservation in the Museon in The Hague, in which she encouraged children to make "Art Goodie Bags" from beach and other plastic waste. This project is continued annually with the latest edition of Nature Goodie Bags. In 2018, Ciska's paintings, photos and films were officially part of the 22nd International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, based on her years of humanitarian aid in Africa, where she helped set up pioneering AIDS control programs in Cape Town. In 2020, Ciska was invited to exhibit her artwork on AIDS at the 23rd International AIDS Conference in San Francisco, USA. In 2010, Ciska received the Green Apple Award from the University of California for an "Outstanding Contribution to a Sustainable Lifestyle". Because of her involvement in humanitarian and social issues through the Visual Arts, she received the second Humanist prize from the Humanist Association on March 30, 2019. She is currently preparing new projects and artworks for upcoming exhibitions in 2020 and 2021.