Map of the Netherlands

“Vindingrijkheid" means ingenuity in Dutch. The word perfectly describes the Dutch people. These people managed the impossible - to reclaim their country from the sea, with only the help of their brilliant ingenuity. This is what the artist is trying to convey to us. The first thing we notice is the protruding, wide, textured strokes in ultramarine colour, through which the artist depicts the element of water. Next, we notice several shades of beige and brown, through which the author depicts the so-called “polders”: the exposed seabed, drained using pumps powered by windmills, which, by the way, are abstractly depicted using chaotic lines made using the grattage technique. This seabed turns out to be excellent soil for growing tulips, which are represented through the scarlet strokes.

The inscription denoting the area of the drawn country, presented in every painting from the concept “Maps of the Happiest Countries” serves as a sort of a signature. It is specifically done to raise this question: How important is the element of territory in the 21st century?  The area of the Netherlands is 41.526 square metres.

Through this work, the author finds such qualities as ingenuity, creativity and resourcefulness as indispensable for a happy person.