Marlies Meenks

VORDEN – In mid-2026, I will have graduated as an Artist / Visual Arts & Design Teacher. During the ArtEZ Finals 2026, I presented my graduation project ‘Versmolten Huid’ (Fused Skin). With this exhibition, I successfully completed my four-year Bachelor's degree program at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem. Fused Skin: Consists of a series of interconnected artworks, inspired by my personal experiences and fascination with twins and multiples born alone. The work explores identity, loss, and connection, and shows how an absent other can still remain tangibly present.The skin plays a central role in this as a carrier of memories, experiences, and consciousness. Vulnerability, protection, and connection come together in images where the inner and outer worlds flow into one another. The various works consist of natural rubber, ceramics, paper, and textiles, among other materials.At the foundation of my project also lies my theoretical research into experimental work, in which intuition, material research, and the creative process play an important role. Furthermore, this work aligns with my practice in Vorden as a Body Whisperer, massage therapist, trauma/IEMT and brain trainer, where themes such as body awareness, loss, and identity regularly recur. I view the body as a living archive in which experiences, emotions, and connections are stored.