STYLE CHAT
Every month, we ask a personality about all the things that make life beautiful and stylish.
If you could start over, where would you like to live? “It seems fantastic to me to live in Japan for an extended period of time. I travelled there for five weeks in 2017, which was a fantastic experience. I found the contrast between the hypermodern city of Tokyo and, for example, the traditional Kyoto very fascinating. Everywhere you will find the same attention to detail, cleanliness and safety. Everything is so different.”
Are you a morning or evening person? “Neither, I'm a midnoon person. I start the day with meditation and exercises, then I get to work with my watercolour colours and in the afternoon I start weaving. Of course there are also days when I have to sit at my desk, but that makes me very restless. I prefer to see colours and shapes coming out of my hands.”
How would you describe your living style? ''English indie, country cottage style': say simple, functional, soft colours, natural materials, authenticity and craftsmanship with a joke or a smart solution here and there.'
Out of Office: where do you escape the crowds? 'In nature, in any landscape with a slight preference for forest or heath.'
Tent or hotel? “That is allowed in a tent on a cliff in Cornwall or in a beautiful hotel on the island of Ischia in Italy. As long as it's by the sea.”
Where would you like to have a holiday home? “I spent a lot of summers on the island of Formentera, when it wasn't too busy there. You can choose endlessly between beaches, depending on how the wind blows at that moment. The island has only one traffic light, and you never wear real shoes, only slippers. It doesn't make you European at all.”
MARIEJE VAN BUUREN | Artist
Marieje studied, after a short passage at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, at Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art in London. She worked as a freelance designer, but devoted herself entirely to her own art in 2020. Her wall sculptures are made of textiles of found materials. She always starts a design with a watercolour; then she weaves, wraps and knots the yarns around an organic shape in copper. mariejevanbuuren.com
TEXT BY KARIN DE RIDDER
“Weaving and painting brings me into the moment. I won't let myself be carried away by my thoughts”
What calms you down? “I find tranquillity in nature, in meditation and reflection, and in writing, weaving and painting. These activities bring me into the moment and let me observe my thoughts instead of being carried away by it. The work I do is very healing. It has a kind of mandala-like quality; it is a process in your development as a human and a metaphor for life.”
What do you prefer: an intimate tête-à-tête or a cosy dinner with many friends and family? “I love both; I prefer to have a cosy mix of family and friends at the table. I always enjoy seeing my kids interact with my friends. I always find the insights and enrichments that that provides special.”
What's the best gift you've ever received? “My three children, all three of whom are very different, both in appearance and character. Despite their individuality, they are very connected and inseparable. And I always continue to look with joyful wonder at how courageous and frank they face life.”
What is your favourite aperitif? “On occasion I like to drink a Negroni. This Italian drink has a nice, complex flavour of bitter, spicy and sweet. Somehow it always reminds me of Sicily, which is also complex and exciting, even if it is originally from Firenze.”
What advice would you have liked to receive yourself when you were 18 years old? “That everything you do is good, and comes at the right time, that you can rely on your intuition. And that everything that happens does not happen to you but for you. Those are wise words, but I might not have understood them at that age. “
Which book is on your side table in the living room? 'The book with all the answers by Carol Bolt and A Course in Miracles by Helen Schucman.'
Which building made a lasting impression on you? “Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul by Zaha Hadid Architects. The futuristic organic architecture has a huge physical impact on me. It gives you a sense of nignity and being great at the same time. As if you are physically part of the structure.”
Which artist can make a portrait of you? “Louise Bourgeois because I think she's a fascinating woman. She has an interesting background: her parents were carpet weavers, but she had a difficult relationship with her mother. She was a small female, with a strong character. She made overwhelming images.” ■
Stijlvol Wonen September 2024