OE VRAUWE KÊIKE – Volendam through the eyes of women
Volendam has been visited, admired and painted by artists for many generations. The village is famous for its special light, traditional clothing, its people and its beautiful surroundings.
Within this rich artistic tradition, the female perspective has often been less visible. Women were more often shown in paintings than recognised as artists themselves. At the same time, the first feminist movements also influenced the art world. Female artists in the Netherlands and abroad began to present their own work and ideas.
Hotel Spaander played an important role in this story. In the early twentieth century, the hotel became a special meeting place for artists. Because Volendam became so popular, it grew into the largest artists’ colony in Europe. What made Volendam unique was that female artists were welcome here and were treated as equals. In many other artists’ colonies, this was still unusual at the time. Volendam gave women the opportunity to live, work and develop as artists.
Today, female artists from Volendam and from other places still continue to find inspiration here and show the village in their own way.
In Oe Vrauwe Kêike, we present the work of female artists from the past and the present who have captured Volendam from their own perspective.
The participating artists — amateurs and professionals — show the village in many different ways: portraits, village scenes and moments from daily life. Some works show the fishing industry, while others focus on quieter and more personal moments. Together, they offer another way of looking at Volendam: a female perspective.
In this exhibition, “Kêike” means more than simply looking. It also means seeing, feeling and capturing. Looking is not only a quick glance, but also careful observation.
Perhaps Oe Vrauwe Kêike offers a different perspective from the more familiar male view — or perhaps there is no difference at all.
Come and discover for yourself whether you can recognize the female eye.
