Esther Barend | Contemporary painter

Esther Barend

Esther Barend was born in an artistic family in the Netherlands. After finishing her studies, she established herself as a designer of jewellery in Eindhoven (The Netherlands). Several years later she started classes at the Academy of Fine Arts. After 3 years she felt she had to go her own way. With experimenting day in, day out she developed her own distinctive style through the years. Barend wants to stimulate the spectator to use his/her own imagination. She wants to take the viewer along into a fascinating spectacle, which has been built by intense colours, contrasts and powerful movements … into another world that only exists in your own mind.

Everything is open, no fixed standards, no expectations, but total freedom. The portraits in her figurative series are open-minded reflections of perfect imperfections. Esther loves all colours, both literally and figuratively speaking. People judge easily about others, to distract themselves from their own imperfections, both inside and outside. Apparently people need to worship, hate (or something in between) others, to identify themselves. Esther’s paintings consist of many colours and layers, just like all people do. On social media you only see the outside, the part you want others to see. But we all have deeper layers, and much more colours on the inside. We are all human.