ARTWORKS

'Dushi Fortuna' 2024

The statue Dushi Fortuna, a lottery ticket seller sitting on a bench, is 112 cm wide, 68 cm deep and 128 cm high. Created from a life-size paper selfie. To make this paper figure stay in place, I reinforced it with paper tubes and chicken wire. Then dress the paper figure with stretchy clothing, such as an old long-sleeved T-shirt, pajama pants, socks and gloves. I filled the clothing with polyurethane foam to form the body of a plump woman. This woman formed the basis for the Dushi Fortuna image and I literally immersed myself in the image (Video The making of Dushi Fortuna part 1 and part 2 on YouTube).

Dushi Fortuna can be seen in De Koepel, a former prison in Haarlem from November 2, 2024 to March 29, 2025. I was born in Curaçao, a small dot on the world map, with the special and historic center of Willemstad, which is on the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many buildings such as the Handelskade tell something about the colonial past and slavery.

I painted the Handelskade in oil especially for De Koepel. The houses are reminiscent of the Amsterdam canal belt. With one important difference: on Curacao they are in cheerful colors. The first Dutch governor got a headache from the white facades in the bright sun and therefore ordered that all houses had to be colored.

Dushi Fortuna sits in front of the painting 'De Handelskade', a childhood memory of a lottery ticket seller on Curacao and what I thought as a young girl: this poor woman sells lottery tickets to earn some extra money, while she may have millions in her hand .

Not only a cheerful scene to sit next to, but also an image to reflect on: 150 years ago the chains of slavery were broken, but is everyone now really free and equal?