Ambassador

Chulinya Remmelzwaal

Chulinya Remmelzwaal is a multimedia artist based in Amsterdam. In her practice she draws on issues ranging from the experiences of immigrant communities in the Netherlands to the interplay between science of art and how it shapes understandings of climate change.

About Chulinya Remmelzwaal

Chulinya obtained her bachelor's degree in Arts & Education from AHK (Amsterdam School of the Arts) in 2018, during which she gained practical experience through teaching in a number of high schools and primary schools. While her studies exposed her to a number of artistic modes of expression, Chulinya's graduation project addressed the dialogue between science and art through the use of installation, painting and film. Alongside her studies, she took part in a number of exhibitions around Amsterdam focused on LGBT+ issues and minority communities.

Painting remains her medium of choice, and she frequently uses watercolour from Van Gogh to create soft, fluid pieces that challenge the illusion of realism. Recently, she has been leaning towards oil paints from Cobra while creating both more abstract and naturalistic pieces. She is continuing to explore how the properties of oil paint bring out subtle colours and simultaneously allow for building up for a more dramatic finish.

Empowering creativity

Taking from her own background as a Dutch-Surinamese citizen, Chulinya draws inspiration from the experiences of other minority groups, particularly in the Netherlands. Using oil paints as well as watercolour, Chulinya subverts the stereotyping representations such individuals have been subject to by creating stylistically varied portraits.

Another big source of inspiration for her is the potential of working with light, colour and subject in order to manipulate an artwork’s visual language and create an eerie or strange atmosphere. Artists that Chulinya admires include Kehinde Wiley, Mark Rothko and Jimmy Marble.