Geraakt means Touched in Dutch. In 2023, I started drawing more alongside my graphic design work—especially human figures, searching for connection with themselves, with others, and with the universe. 🌀
At some point, poems and writings began to emerge alongside the drawings.
Eventually, I want to turn this series into an art book. I draw and write when I am touched—by sadness, loss, confusion, loneliness, or by an intense feeling of happiness and connection. Touched. In my work, I seek a direct (visual) language that speaks from my heart to yours.
I’m very inspired by Babet from Verlieskunst and the grief circles she organizes. In these circles, presence matters more than fixing or finding answers. I realized that much of my creative work had focused on the ‘productive’ side of grief. But grief is also messy—it’s chaos, anger, despair, and not knowing. In Geraakt, I give space to all of it, embracing the raw and unfiltered sides of grief through my art and words.
Rhodé Tavenier 