Raquel Van Haver

Raquel van Haver’s practice is enlivened by bold and energetic murals of quotidian life. Opening small windows unto scenes of frivolity and family, van Haver resists the notion of voyeurism, curating authentic access into other worlds and spaces. In these dimly lit doorways and crowded rooms, van Haver realizes new and exciting connections and dialogue, igniting glimmers of recognition in her visceral and emotive displays.

Her art candidly portrays her intimate circle at their most honest, familiar faces appearing in the comfort of their own homes, local haunts and beloved spots. In their personal anchoring to place and time, van Haver’s paintings delve into an exploration of global connectivity, where migration, cultural history and the ritualistic quality of day-to-day life underpins the unity of human existence.

Written by Lauren Gee

Raquel Van Haver
Biography
Biography

Born in 1989 in Bogota, Colombia, Raquel van Haver now lives and works in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Van Haver graduated from the HKU University of the Arts in Utrecht, in 2012. More recently she has spent long periods abroad, gathering source material in both West Africa and South America but continues to return to her own diverse community in the South-East of Amsterdam.

Solo exhibitions include ‘Spirits of the Soil’ at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, November 2018 – April 2019. Van Haver’s work has also been exhibited at the Dordrechts Museum, Netherlands; Lagos photo festival, Nigeria and BOZAR Centre for Fine Art, Brussels, Belgium.

Winning the prestigious Dutch Royal Prize for Painting in 2018, Van Haver has gone on to win the Amsterdam award in 2019, both prestigious accomplishments in the Netherlands.

In 2020 she presented her new project ‘Amo a la Reina’ – a solo presentation within the group show ‘Say It Loud’ at the Bonnefanten Museum in Maastricht. She also exhibited works from the series at Breda Photo in Breda and in Museo Bolivariano in Colombia. A documentary made by Bibi Fadlalla was broadcasted on Dutch television in 2020, called ‘The Women of My Country’.

Raquel Van Haver
Selected works