Exhibition ‘Moving Stones’ by Mieke van Grinsven

By Sanaa & Culture

On the third of June, 2014 at Alliance Francais grounds in Dar es Salaam, was an art exhibition by sculptress Mieke Van Grinsven. A native of the Netherlands she’s been in Tanzania for over 20 years. Her medium for this exhibition which comprised exclusively of sculpture was stone. Serpentine stone from Zimbabwe to be exact, if you've ever come across this beautiful stone type from Zimbabwe you’ll know it gives a unique quality when worked in sculpture, that’s a delight to the eye with its rich fine grain.

Mieke giving a speech at the oppening of 
her exhibition at the Alliance Francais 
hall in Dar es Salaam in June this year

Mieke gracefully showed me a raw stone which she had brought to Dar to work on; while she was here for the exhibition. A resident of Arusha her exhibition at the Alliance Francais in Dar es Salaam ran until the 24th of June. It was hard to imagine the raw stone which looks from a quick glance like ordinary sedimentary rock; could be fashioned to immense soft surfaces which can represent like in Mieke’s works smooth portraits.

This exhibition titled ‘Moving Stones’ had works of Mieke that she’s been sculpting for ten years now. Such that in essence what was cohesive about the collection was the use of the Zimbabwe stone. Still on close inspection as you move from one piece to the next (the artist has labeled each piece in chronological order from the oldest pieces to the more recent works all with a name) you comprehend Mieke’s style that also unifies this collection.

What I gleaned of this distinctive style is the seamless combination of raw with refined. Here even the real stone depicts of faces weren't simple smooth pretty representations. But like in one of her portraits where we see a face that when looked at squarely shows a squashed mirage to the sides.

The squashed looking like
portrait titled 'Focus'

Her style is further emphasized with her medium which though rough and rugged at first has the ability when worked (through sanding, tilling, cobra waxing etc) to give very smooth surfaces. “ I worked alongside Zimbabwean sculptors in a shed at Tengenege for one week; where I could ask them a question when I got stuck…” And that’s all it took ladies and gents for this Madame to produce these masterpieces.

Well that wouldn't be entirely accurate as she did attend a Fine Arts College back in Netherlands. "I attended 4 years of Arts Academy in the Netherlands in a Teacher Training College within the Contemporary Arts Academy, where I learned how to teach Arts at Secondary Schools. After I went on to teach art to adults …however it’s in Africa that I saw and felt inspired to be an artist myself" explained Mieke.

'Energy Spreading Out' No. 24
by Mieke Van Grinsven

It seems this medium stimulates her to creativity with no end. One of my favorite pieces of the exhibition was ‘No.24’ titled ‘Energy Spreading Out’. Which when I prodded got to learn were replicas of her kids navels further molded to take on a universal meaning.

The piece in her true style has an exposed rugged stone on the top edges and smooth surfaces on the side. Where we see another refine and rugged juxtaposition as the exteriors are belly like non busy surfaces and the insides (the piece is a duo) has pleasant intricate line details.

“I get inspired and start working on a piece then I can come back to it and find am moving in an entirely different direction. However today I’m certainly more fascinated with the abstract formations like in piece no 24.  Earlier with the portraits I just kept seeing them whenever I looked at the stones now with these abstract pieces. I’ve been fascinated with sources of energy in the universe and so I play with means of exposing that flow to my understanding…” Mieke

At this exhibition opening the director of Alliance Francais opened the event he was very happy to have Mieke at the gallery and urged us all to support the artist. We also had the pleasure of seeing T.Africa dance group perform a contemporary piece in support of the exhibition.

A dancer from T.Africa performing
lustrously for the exhibition Moving Stones

Normally this can go sideways where the performing artist at an exhibition takes the audience on a different journey. Thankfully Ally Mzuri the choreographer for the piece and also one of the dancers did a great job of interpreting ‘Moving Stone’ through contemporary dance. “We worked on this for like two days so phew, but when we met her and saw the exhibition we knew where to go. Particularly her explanation of energy source…”Ally Mzuri  If you wish to acquire Mieke’s artworks or contact her, her email is mieke@habari.co.tz