Marrigje de Maar

Marrigje de Maar decided to go to art school when she was 54. She graduated in painting and photography in June 2004.

Her Russian  pictures had  already received several important Dutch photography  prices, when October 2004 in New York she was given the prestigious  Lucie Award for the New Discovery 2004. 

She is also holding a MA in social sciences from the University of Rotterdam(1968).

Marrigje de Maar  had already several exhibitions in Holland, Finland and Japan.  In 2006 most probably also in Russia.

This exhibition was for a large part made possible by the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture .

Mothersong

These pictures from Russian Karelia are part of a larger photo project about the feeling to be at home – feeling loved and protected - being accepted the way you are.

I started this project during my stay as an exchange student at the art college of the university of Joensuu in Eastern Finland – February-July 2003.

Between March 2003 and July 2004 I made 3 trips to this area north of St. Petersburg and just across the border of Finland. During these trips,  I stayed at the homes of the Karelian people and enjoyed their very warm  and friendly hospitality, beautiful fresh food, cozy beds and fantastic sauna’s.

The southern part of Karelia was a part of the young independent Republic of Finland from 1920-1944. But Karelia neither belongs to the East nor the West. From the 8th century on this area had it own language and culture. Politically there was  always a border  somewhere on its territory. Parts belonging to Swedish, Danish or German kings or knights, parts belonging to Russian princes. Its religion went with the ruler - either Lutherian or Russian Orthodox. But their language and culture  were one and people had always been free to move around. Until in 1944 the iron curtain fell and Karelia was partitioned between Finland and Russia. Many of the people fled to Finland overnight (almost 400.000). But the Karelian culture  is still to be found everywhere. Older people also speak the language, which is very close to Finnish.

The project At Home is to be continued. For this  I stayed for a month in Beijing earlier this year