Anna Snijder

Anna Snijder (1971) – Dimensions of the Hidden

Dutch artist Anna Snijder dedicates her work to the exploration of emotional states and their transformation into physical color spaces. Stylistically, she moves confidently within the field of Abstract Expressionism and gestural abstraction, often seeking a balance between energetic discharge and meditative stillness.

In series such as Happiness is an inside job I & II, Snijder uses the process of constant building up and scraping away layers of paint to reflect the complexity of the human psyche. Inspired by Gerhard Richter’s squeegee technique, she reveals underlying layers fragmentarily, making the creation of the painting permanently readable as a temporal process. For Snijder, painting is an “inner job” and a search for the core of contentment, which often only becomes visible through the conscious penetration of emotional layers.

With the series Colour me happy I & II, the artist manifests a high-energy side of her work that stands in the direct tradition of Hans Hofmann’s “Push and Pull” theory. Through the precise interplay of contrasting color fields, she creates a depth effect resulting solely from the dynamics of color. These works highlight her adventurous spirit in dealing with technique and texture, using pure abstract form as an emotional imperative to transfer optimism and joy directly to the viewer.

In works like Venice, Snijder demonstrates her ability to translate atmospheric phenomena such as light and weather into architectural structures. Drawing on the late work of William Turner, she captures the cool morning mood of the lagoon, where solid forms and fleeting weather permeate each other layer by layer through the use of the squeegee technique. A varnish typical of her work lends the pieces a special brilliance and preserves the luminosity of the pigments as if the paint were still freshly applied.

Anna Snijder’s work resonates internationally and has been presented in renowned contexts. Her most important stations include the group exhibition L’ART A TRAVERS LES YEUX DES FEMMES in Cannes in 2024, as well as another exhibition under the same title in Milan during 2024/2025. Previously, she presented her works in 2023 and 2024 in solo exhibitions at the Theater de Speeldoos in Baarn and Utrecht. Her art is an invitation to explore the world behind the visible, where colors become emotions and the canvas functions as a vibrating reservoir of life energy.