Coffee Filter Book in Progress
Book, collage, drawing, photography
44 x 36 x 8 inches
2021

Growing up, my father would take my sister and me on early morning expeditions to a forest near our home in Goirle, the Netherlands. Carrying our collection boxes, journals and pencils on our journey, we would search for small treasures of everyday objects. Today, my art practice still consists of finding discarded, mundane items and transforming and elevating them into art. By creating something unexpected, I encourage dialogue about waste practices and over consumerism, as well as up-rootedness and belonging.

When the pandemic began, I started to collect and repurpose the used coffee filters from my husband’s and my quarantine schedule of a ten o’clock koffie uurtje (coffee hour). A typical Dutch tradition originally known for its gossipy tone it became even more a necessity to bring some normality to our lives. We would talk about our feelings of fears, hopes, and worries in reaction to the everyday COVID-19 news. To mark those uncertain days and to feel more rooted, I devised this piece to contain those daily emotions. Each filter equals a day. Stitched together with coffee- and soil-stained linen threads, the result is a 9-foot-long book with over 800 pages that was completed in 2023.

Coffee Filter Book
Book, collage, drawing, photography
35 x 108 x 18 inches
2020 - 2023

Coffee Filter Book Pages 208 + 209
Book, collage, photography, drawing
6 x 12 x 1 inches
2020 - 2023