op stelten meike 2023 charcoal on paper 36 x 26 cm
Op Stelten
Originally, stilt walking was a way for farmers to get onto their flooded land. Later the stilts were used by children to play with. In my recent series of paintings hink-stap-sprong, playing girls are the subject. A series inspired by the schoolyard, which my studio is adjacent to. Not far from the mud flats. Behind a dike, where the struggle with the water is clearly visible. Op Stelten is an installation of thirteen pairs wooden children's stilts in the Kooiduinen on the Wadden island Ameland. Children's stilts with highly placed footrests, anticipating the future rising sea levels and the consequences for next generations. Are we playing a risky game?