Uilskuikens | Jacqueline Lamme
In this exhibition, Jacqueline Lamme (1964, Hilversum) invites visitors to observe young, vulnerable owlets depicted in her paintings. The works revolve around a crucial tipping point: the moment when the young owls leave their safe nest and are forced to relate to the overwhelming outside world.
Lamme regards human life and the lives of wild animals as parallel worlds within a multiverse. She enjoys observing wild animals during her walks in nature. Her personal encounters with owls have made a deep impression on her since childhood. Growing up on the edge of the Hoorneboeg heath in Hilversum, the open landscape became the backdrop of an unburdened youth.
This personal history forms the foundation of her current work, with animals in their natural environment as the starting point. The animals manifest themselves during the painting process, which is an essential part of how the works come into being.
Her current focus lies in painting young owls and the stark transition from the nest to the relentless outside world. They are still fledglings, without fully developed wings. Are they sufficiently equipped for their first encounter with the world beyond? What awaits them? Is climbing back into the nest still an option after a sudden fall onto the forest floor?
The work is an homage to the act of painting and reflects the natural phases of transition that we all recognize: the moment when the protective shell falls away and the world reveals itself in all its complexity.
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Vernissage
Friday 27 February, 16:30 – 19:00
17:00 – Opening remarks by Aart van der Kuijl
Independent curator, art historian, and publicist. He has published numerous art-historical works, including the monograph Geertgen tot Sint-Jans – Het mirakel van Haarlem.
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Finissage
Thursday 5 March, 16:30 – 19:00
17:00 – Conversation with Kees Wabeke
Author of Uilen. He will speak about his personal experiences with owls and his lifelong fascination, followed by a reading from his book.
Image: detail of Tawny Owl VII & Tawny Owl VIII, 2026 – oil on canvas
