Reina de Haan
About me
Born in The Netherlands, may 13 - 1958. Mother of two daughters, wife of painter Ernst Merhottein (www.ernstmerhottein.com).
I have always made drawings on every piece of paper. Started painting when I was about 20, first oilpaint, afterwords acrylics. From about 1990 I was active in the art world of Haarlem / Holland, having exhabitions on various locations, but in 2008 I mooved to another city. I started working with leather, making bags and phone/iPad cases. Due to the financial crisis, Ernst and I mooved to Turkey in 2014. I started painting again, as well as working with wood.
La Kôko
In The Netherlands I designed handbags, smartphone- and iPad covers. Unfortunately I could not continue this work in Turkey, but I might take it up again some day. La Kôko is the name of my business.
Education
-Graphic School MTS, Amsterdam
-Private lessons, teacher of Academia di Belle Arti, Rome
-Vrije Academie Kennermerland, Netherlands
-Nevertheless, I see myself primarily as autodidact.
My Life
Left the Netherlands (17) for Athens/Greece. Mooved to Rome/Italy a year later. Stayed in Vienna/Austria for a while till I met my first husband in Holland (21). I worked for the NGO 'PLAN Netherlands' for 10 years, took care of my childeren, assisted my husband in our restaurants and bars, until we separated in 2004.
I met Ernst in 1980. We got an affair in 2007 and married in 2010. We were both members of the City counsel of Velsen for the Green Party from 2010-2014. After losing jobs and everything else we had worked for during a lifetime, we left for Turkey by car with three dogs and an old cat. In September 2016 we got an apartment in Holland again. Unfortunately, the Dutch home is to small for any creative explosion, so we travel a lot. We are living in our third Turkish house, which has a lot of space. During the warm seasons I started working with wood I find in the forests all around us.
I am a member of:
Het KCV (Kunstenaars Collectief Velsen)
(www.develsergemeenschap.nl/vereniging/het-kunstenaars-collectief-velsen-kcv)
Göcek Art Collective. www.gocekartcol.com / gocekartcol@gmail.com (Göcek, Muğla, Türkiye)
Exhibitions
2021
July 2021: "Onvoltooide tijd", together with Ernst Merhottein, 'De Waag', Haarlem
September 2021: 'Raadhuis voor de kunst', Velsen
Oktober 2021: 'Van Ooijen', together with Ernst Merhottein, Haarlem
2022
february / March 20, 2022: "Landscapes", joyned exh. 'De Kloostergangen', Haarlem
First weekend June 2022: Kunstroute Velsen
July 2022: KCV (Kunstenaars Collectief Velsen) shows work in 'De Waag', Haarlem
Seriously?
Prices
Again somebody told me my paintings are too cheap. "People won't take your work seriously with those prices".
I think everybody should have the chance to buy art. My main joy is painting, I just háve to paint. If somebody likes it, that makes me happy and of course even more if someone buys a work.
Art shouldn't stay stored in an atelier, but seen hanging on a wall.
I am very serious!
