Catharina Dhaen: Metamorphosis

Catharina Dhaen (b. 1992, Antwerp) approaches painting in a contemporary and innovative way. She graduated from KASK in Ghent and belongs to a generation of artists who play with the boundaries between abstraction and figuration. Her work, rich in color and texture, reflects a playful artistic freedom and a strong sensitivity. By applying multiple layers and painting over them, Dhaen allows personal and autobiographical elements to emerge as motifs on the canvas, approaching each painting as a balance between the visible and the hidden.

Her work, although seemingly joyful and colorful, evokes a sense of defiance, as if she does exactly what she wants. It is precisely this radical way of claiming her freedom that provides her a framework to create precisely what she desires. It is a freedom carefully crafted, and despite the playfulness on the surface, a lingering interplay of seduction and betrayal remains, prompting further contemplation.

Dhaen’s style is marked by a unique method of layering paint, constantly reworking and obscuring parts of her compositions to capture a sense of both freedom and restraint. Her works are layered and expressive works that explore the delicate balance between abstraction and figuration.

The works of Catharina Dhaen have been exhibited at venues including M HKA, Emergent, Voorkamer, and Musée Marthe Donas, as well as at CC Binder in Puurs, De Witte Rook in Breda, and the City Museum in Menen.

Catharina Dhaen is represented by Galerie Sofie Van de Velde.