World Fine Art Professionals and their Key-Pieces, 87- Inez van Maanen
There is a spacious light in Inez van Maanen’s studio. It is located on the corner of the Willem de Zwijgerlaan and the Van Boetzelaerlaan in The Hague. When I visit her she was working on a large oil painting on a wooden desk. On the walls I see large colorful paintings with metal incorporated into it. Many paintings are vaulted.
“I work with messing (brass) and aliminum” says Inez van Maanen as we sit down. “It gives my work a transparent radition, along with the oil. A journalist wrote about Inez’ radiant paintings. Work where people become happy of’. Van Maanen: “In this house / studio it seems always summer. Light and airiness are important to me.” If there is a theme in her work, it is light. “There are so many light areas in my work.”
Houtrust Church
Yet this was not always her craft. She started with large tapestries that were hung as paintings. Then she began to paint. And later she started to work with metal. Once she begun with it, it expanded, more and more. At one point she made collages, all of metal. And then glass was introduced. Inez: “People know me from the metal collages, but at this moment I make more paintings. You always see a thread, a personal signature. I always see if I can innovate something.”
Inez van Maanen presented her work at a relatively late age in 1990, when she was 40. That was in the Houtrust Church, an ideal place because of the space and light. She was sacristan there. This position she has held for 40 years. Five years ago she said goodbye to it, but she can still exhibit her work there. “It is the most beautiful exhibition space that you can imagine.” One of her major works entitled ‘Light’ hangs there. And occasionally there’s also new work. Interested parties who wish to view the work are welcome to contact with Inez. Another important work that revolves around the light as well is in the sanctuary of Reinier de Graaf Hospice in Delft. “If there are key works, then these are eligible.”
Brother in America
Inez van Maanen was trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts / illustrative department, but she did not finish it. Inez: “I always wanted to do my own thing and my brother, Frits van Eeden, was a better teacher.” Her brother still fulfills this role, he’s an inspiration, even though he lives in America and has built up a name as artist. Through the contact of her brother she could show her work in galleries in France and America. Also her other brother, Rudolf van Eeden, is artistically active: he has a pottery in Giethoorn.
I saw Inez’ work for the first time on the occasion of the Art Route Statenkwartier. Van Maanen has participated from the beginning. She also took part in another Art Route, the Art Route Regentessekwartier. Actually she is not so much a socializer, she doesn’t participate very much in Hague’s artlife. “I prefer to go my own way. I’ve always worked hard.”
Aluminum Factory
In many places and companies there’s work from her to see, for example in an aluminum factory in Barendrecht. The work raises many questions, she notes. She hears that it radiates strength and that you cannot see if it was made by a man or woman. “The people who walk past my studio wonder: Is this a house, gallery or studio? Is it possible to ring the bell? I want to say to those people: if you see me and want to watch, you may come in.”
