Selfie Challenge

Tanja Ritterbex made a selfie every day for a year and a painting from that. We invited everyone through our newsletter and on social media to turn a selfie into a self-portrait as well; the many entries were diverse and of high quality. Ritterbex chose the three winners in consultation with Kunsthal KAdE. 
^{Thanks for participating (from left to right.) Annette Roetgerink, Hiske Kremer, Nelleke Ponsteen, Carin Unverzagt, Yousif Abadi, Deborah De Haes, Sylvie van Oosterhout, Roel Sanders, Jeannette Lamme, Carla Emmink, Adrie van Zalk, Marja Appel, Ton van der Pal, Jennifer Smith, Jana Willekes, Karin Peeters, Babette Heijnen, Charlotte Mouwens, Andre Janssens, Esther, Anita Seuren, Esther Rabe, Paula de Graaff}

The winners' works were exhibited online during the week of April 19-25 on social media, in Kunsthal KAdE's newsletter and here on the website: 

Winners Selfie Challenge

One of the three winners is Jan Janssens, he writes of his entry: ''I was in love at the time and a little confused by that. I actually painted my feelings right away. The painting was first an abstract portrait of the girl. Which I then painted myself over with these feelings. Confused in love, I call the work.''

Comment Tanja Ritterbex: "I think it is a sweet text, love as a self-portrait. Painting directly your feelings is very difficult and Jan certainly succeeded. I think it is a very beautiful work also in terms of brush strokes, I also like the mouth and the eyes. It looks like the figure wants to kiss you. He painted his self-portrait over the portrait of the girl he was/is in love with! What a beautiful feature that is!!! Couldn't be better!"

The next winner is Rio Holländer, she writes of her entry: ''I am working on self-portraits and selfies. I have noticed that I too am trying to meet standards of attractiveness. Beauty has become a very narrow shelf in the mainstream. This drawing is the result of thinking, ''What if everything about me were beautiful.''

Comment Tanja Ritterbex: "I like the breasts drawn, the watery and over that the pen. Everything is also beautiful about you, I would like to tell Rio she did a portrait not only of her face but of her whole upper body." 

The third winner is Hiske Kremer. She writes of her entry, "Some time ago, late at night, after watching a movie, I took a selfie with a bulbous candle that I was about to blow out. The next day, I was still in bed, I drew the picture with pencil after."

Comment Tanja Ritterbex: "I really like Hiske Kremer's explanation, clear and honest. Just going to make a drawing after watching a film. Beautiful how the work comes about. So unforced. I think that is part of art. I like her drawing with the bulb lamp better than the painting with the eye patch. I like the play of lines in the face and the loose drawn hair. I would choose that work". 

The Selfie Challenge was organized as part of the exhibition Mirror Mirror and specifically around the work of artist Tanja Ritterbex. The exhibition focuses on the phenomenon of mirroring. We are confronted with the mirror every day. On social media we are constantly mirroring our identity. The present time demands (self)reflection more than ever. Reflect Yourself at Kunsthal KAdE!