Ellert Haitjema

At the invitation of Heden Ellert Haitjema worked three months in Yogyakarta Indonesia last year. He did that with our partner in Yogyakarta, Cemeti Art House. This exchange, which started in 2006, brought some twenty Dutch artists into contact with the Indonesian culture. Haitjema works with what he finds during his trips. He is delighted about the almost natural inventiveness that people show in their everyday life. If for example a plastic chair loses a leg, a pole of a traffic sign may be the new leg. The fact hat the chair after this operation isn't moving anymore, is irrelevant. The function of the seat is maintained in any case. Armed with his camera he makes snapshots of these situations. These snapshots are the basis of his work. Back in the studio he creates new images with this visual sketchbook.