Last summer, I was forced to stay at home on my birthday due to a serious concussion. An old friend came to visit and gave me a beautiful drawing as a gift. To my surprise, he had made it at Wester-Amstel, where I have been volunteering in the garden since last year. I recognised the spot immediately: on the edge of the estate, near the bench where you can look out over the polder. I was very surprised and honoured by the beautiful gift, and I found it especially remarkable that we both, without knowing it, seek out the peace and quiet of Wester-Amstel to escape the daily hustle and bustle of city life.
I first met Mari Stoel (1978) in Haarlem when I was about 17. Together with a group of peers, all engaged in creative pursuits, we founded a youth art collective called “Buffer”. We organised happenings and exhibitions, which we announced on posters that we put up all around the city. With some bravado, we wanted to shake up the somewhat tame art scene in Haarlem and send a signal to the municipality that we needed studio and exhibition spaces.
Mari went on to study at the Minerva Academy in Groningen, followed by a master's degree at the St. Joost School of Art & Design in Den Bosch. In 2013, he was nominated for the The Royal Award for Free Painting and in 2017 he won the Gerrit van Houten Prize. In addition to painting, he uses various media, including photography, installation and textiles. His work is characterised by a spontaneous, playful and at the same time thoughtful approach, and often has an absurdist undertone.
Mari: “I cycle a lot and enjoy it, when I have the time, and often do a lap around the Amstel, towards Ouderkerk and the Ronde Hoep.” Because he can't just cycle for the sake of cycling, he always takes his drawing materials with him: oil pastels and a sketchbook. “Perhaps as an excuse, so that I don't come home empty-handed. That way, I have a good work-related reason to go out. Wester-Amstel was a discovery for me and a place of tranquillity where I could escape the hustle and bustle of the city, daydream and clear my head. I intend to read a little, but I often don't even do that. Staring into space is more than enough. I often make one or two drawings of the view from the bench. All this happens naturally, because I'm not working but have some free time.”
You can see more of Mari’s art on his Instagram (@maristoel.landschap) or visit his website (www.maristoel.nl).
By: Fleur Poots