Sophie Mellema - Lot of 7 works on paper in various techniques - Framed

Lot of 7 works on paper (unique work / pastel / acrylic and woodcut on Japanese paper)
Dimensions vary; see photo for approximate proportions. The stated dimensions are for the third artwork in the overview photo.

Sophie Mellema (Lochem 1945 – Roswinkel 2023) studied at the Academy of Minerva in Groningen in 1965 and 1966, and at the AKI in Enschede from 1986 to 1991. She worked with various techniques: painting, oil pastels, collage, printmaking, mixed media, poetry, and photography. She was a member of the Oldenzaal Artists' Collective (OKK) and the Artists' Association VanTynaarlo (VTNL). She was also a lecturer in mixed media at the Open University Haaksbergen. There have been many exhibitions of her work, including in Eefde, Kampen, Hardenberg, Kleve, Delden, Ruurlo, The Hague, Emmen, and Ulft (Huntenkunst).
Sophie lived in Oldenzaal for most of her life as an artist. In her early visual work from the 1990s, we see many images from industry. There, she observes an abstract, harsh reality without frills. Furthermore, conveying a clear, concentrated observation plays a role in her imagery, for example by using primary colors. In the photography of that time, we see similar elements, with a focus on structures under construction or in decay. In the oil pastels that followed, mixed tones came to the fore. The plane was broken up, becoming more spatial and appearing in motion. The enigmatic quality increases. Around 2000, direct reality is abandoned even further. Clouds and other floating elements appear. An important starting point is freedom. In 2002, large-format landscape-like paintings followed. Structures are depicted where seemingly nothing is happening, yet where something is nevertheless taking place. The 'Tabernacles' series was nominated for the Delden City Prize. After this phase, large works followed in which the human figure plays a greater role. They stand in a landscape where the most wondrous things are taking place. Once again, we see a similar trend in her photography: more people, in their everyday lives but nevertheless in surprising guises. After 2004, we see more and more poems, which results, among other things, in her being honored in 2010 as 'Poet of and at the Coach House' of Oldenzaal. Two poetry collections by her are published: 'Wolk' and 'Water'. In the final years of her life, she had a home gallery in a monumental farmhouse in Roswinkel. Colleagues were also invited to exhibit there.