‘I’m also building a collection for my son’

May 11, 2023 Luisa Rey

Image: private

Eva Brouwer (41, presentation trainer, married to Evert-Jan) collects art. Not only for herself, but also for her son Rijck (8). She has now started a collection especially for him.

“Art is like looking at a house: you walk past something and boom, you’re in love. Then you strike and – if all goes well – you will enjoy it for the rest of your life.

Art at home

The first work I acquired still has a prominent place in my home. I bought it at a fair and it cost 500 euros. The artwork resembles a gigantic Delft blue tile with a Roman statue on it, a bather. I now have about fifty works standing and hanging, spread all over the house. They are both paintings and sculptures and I sometimes switch them from place to place.

Tough women

The art I fall for often has something to do with women. A geisha, a woman with a poodle, someone with a frog in her hand. I try to recognize something of myself in it. When my relationship wasn’t going well, I bought a painting of a woman in an orange dress looking up. Every time I see it it reminds me that I want to be like that too. When Rijck brings friends home, they sometimes stare open-mouthed at the nude female portraits I have hanging.

“Friends sometimes stare open-mouthed at the nude female portraits I have hanging”

I buy something about five times a year. I usually do this through an installment plan, so that I have time to save for it. Of course I can also eat out three times with that money, but I don’t enjoy that much. I’m talking about art.

Read also – Miriam makes ink portraits: ‘Throwing paint turned out not to be useful with small children’ >

A private collection

Rijck’s love for art had to grow. At his first art fair, he just sulked. He has now discovered that there is fun art, with lights for example. I am also building a collection for him, of works related to food.

“At his first art fair he was just sulking”

I try to give it to him in a playful way. He received a painted tin of sardines, an ice cream made of cast resin. Recently he was able to choose his own ‘art sandwich’. Of course you hope that art retains its value or even increases in value, but you can’t guarantee that and that’s not my point. I just enjoy it.”