The work of Fiona Lutjenhuis (Zevenaar, NL, 1991) revolves around depicting and reinterpreting the religious ideologies she grew up with. During her childhood, she lived with her family in a village in North Brabant, where her parents joined a sect based on a mixture of theosophical ideas, esoteric cosmologies, stories about extraterrestrial life and the existence of supernatural life forms. Drawing on personal memories and archival material, she explores and transforms the ideological legacy of her childhood. Rather than a literal reconstruction, her work offers a poetic retelling: an attempt to make the unknown tangible, without the intention of judgement.

For Art Rotterdam 2026, Fiona Lutjenhuis will present an installation in the booth combining pieces of furniture as a bed, with a mosquito net, paintings, sculptures and soft toys. For this presentation, she deliberately chose a setting in which she feels safe and where she can retreat for a moment, even at an art fair. The imagery in the paintings is based on dreams that have stayed with her: a world between sleeping and waking, a place where she likes to be and where rules can be distorted. Once she wakes up, she is often disappointed that everything is once again governed by social, political and natural rules. Despite the fact that the artist has many nightmares, she also loves sleeping, because the world then feels more fluid, as a form of escape.

You can find us in the New Art Section, booth K25. Fiona's sculpture Fake Fruits will also be on display at Sculpture Park. And we are very proud to share that she has been nominated for the NN Art Award 2026. The winner will be announced on Friday March 27 at Kunsthal Rotterdam, where her work will also be on display for this occasion, from March 14 to May 25.

Fiona Lutjenhuis, Installation at 1646, The Hague, photo by Jhoeko.