In this imaginative peat landscape, all sorts of typical Dutch birds – blackbirds, kingfishers, black-tailed godwits, spoonbills, and buzzards – fly around a vertical rainbow. The rainbow symbolizes the supernatural - an important theme in the work of Fiona Lutjenhuis (1991).
The landscape contains a repetition of elements that balance each other. That harmony gives the drawing a certain tranquility. With this work, Lutjenhuis wants to show that nature, despite all its dynamics, is always in perfect balance.
She created the drawing entirely in pencil and deliberately depicted many birds. 'The bird is my favorite animal. It’s easy for me to like an environment if there are birds in the landscape.’
Lutjenhuis grew up with parents who held unusual religious beliefs which included reincarnation, ghosts, and extraterrestrial life. She has distanced herself from this faith, but remains grateful for the wonder, fantasy, and interest in other worlds it has given her.
By incorporating her childhood experiences into her art, Lutjenhuis feels less lonely. 'There is a layer of reality that everyone sees, and then there is a layer that only I see and like to bring out in my work.’ She has fond memories of moments spent with her family in nature. 'The gnome forest, particularly, was my favorite.'
Lutjenhuis likes to connect metaphysical themes with personal experiences and cultural history. For Early Bird, she researched natural phenomena that come across as supernatural. She also studied the Dutch peat landscape extensively.
Fiona Lutjenhuis was born in Zevenaar and studied at the art academy in Arnhem. She creates illustrations, publications, paintings, and animations. Her work has previously been shown at the Dordrecht Museum and various art fairs.