Interview with Onno Dröge
I'm the 3 third child out of five. Our parents have been emotionally challenged as we almost all brought along a period of worries. I myself for example got seriously stuck at birth and had an accident at the age of 9 through which I got into a coma. I came out of it three weeks later and had to learn how to speak and walk again. I don't know which of the two situations made that I could not be a great student such as my brothers and sisters. I was smart, but to slow to keep up with the standards of others.
Already as a child I loved to build sculptures with sand, blocks, meccano, LEGO and clay. My personal interest in art came to blossom during the many holidays I spent with my family in beautiful places in south Mediterranean countries as France, Italy, Morocco and Jordan.
I was, and am still, attracted by the bluishness of the see together with the rough, stoney and sandy landscape.You can imagine that in this perspective I got enormously impressed by the City of Petra, due to its superb colours and to its austerious temple sculptures in the rough rocks. This is how I became, as an adolescent, fond of the contrast 'soft, round versus rough'. As a young adult I worked at a bank where it was tough to keep up with the expectations.
When my mother was diagnosed with the disease MS, I realised that life is short and so I decided to inscribe for evening studies for art at Stadsacademie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Maastricht. During studies and after my degree in 1992 there were some life changing moments: I met my partner, got fired at the bank and temped a while before starting my own little art school for children and adults, had my first exhibitions with clay objects, became a father of two children and got two teaching degrees in art (one for primary school and one for middle school). Let's say, it was a process of going home to my heart and to my skills.
How would you describe yourself and your artwork?
My soul is strongly inclined to softness and roundness, to fluent lines and shapes, to space in and around my objects. In my objects I like to refer to the spirit world and to the heavenly atmosphere, represented through the fluent shapes, the presence of shadow and the colours.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
It is a style of its own that emerged from its own feelings. Of course several styles of art and architecture have inspired me. I want to be close to nature. Clay and later wood helped me to translate the love for nature and women into curves and flowing lines (sculptures). It is certainly the material in which I can express certain feelings. The earthly feelings, the contact with the water / sea, the rocks, the beach, the living nature.
What emotions do you hope the viewers experience when looking at your art?
Through the shapes I hope to translate love, affection, the earthly and spiritual life, mystic. Because life is a kind of puzzle of many situations, conditions, experiences and feelings. I hope to bring the viewer closer to his/her own (spiritual) heart.
When do you know that an artwork is finished ?
After a period of devotion the object 'tells' you when it is ready: it might fit the drawings or it might ask much less or much more than that. I like to renew and develop myself, new ideas come and go. Sometimes I abandon an object temporarily because a new shape is pushing itself to strongly forward. Therefor I am often working on several shapes simultaneously. The abandoned shape might profit from it later.
What has been the most exciting moment in your art career so far?
Everything that has happened and is happening, apart and together, has its value. Therefor I cannot mention one specific moment of excitement. If I force myself I would say my first exhibition in Geleen after graduation?
Can you share some of the future plans.Do you have any upcoming events or exhibitions we should know about ?
At the end of 2019 I felt like making small sketches on hardboard planks. I had long been fascinated by round plastic shapes from the 60s-70s. I translated the plastic shapes into the enamel, white-painted shapes on the paintings. Loops, Jing-jang shapes, flowing shapes can be seen a lot in this.
It is now ending 2020 and the new paintwork are ready look at my website: www.artonno.nl
What exciting projects are you working on right now?
I am very busy at the moment with several Galleries. I dream about a great project. I dream about time to think, work and get energy & inspiration for new work. Of course I want to continue and I dream of working in my studio again. But at the moment I am taking a step back not to go on like a headless chicken stoically. Art must remain pure. Inspiration comes from love and feelings. The new artworks will arise from a selection of works that I made and ideas / inspiration gained.
Website: www.artonno.nl
