LA stories #1 Painting

Anniek Verholt is an artist from the Netherlands, based in Brighton and Athens. She exhibits her work internationally and creates bespoke artworks for clients on location and on commission. From 2009 - 2022 Anniek taught abstract art at the Hampstead School of Art in London. She still teaches a popular weekly online class which attracts students of all parts of the world. Anniek completed a BA in Art Therapy from the University of Applied Sciences in Leiden in '96 -'00 and immersed herself in an in-depth study into the therapeutic use and impact of art and the creative process. After some years in Greece she established herself in the UK. She developed and facilitates a therapeutic arts project in a London male prison since 2018 and is passionate about reaching new audiences. With that in mind she plans to develop further public artworks with the aim of supporting and promoting well-being to a wider more inclusive audience - including those who may not visit galleries or have access to wellbeing services. Her interest in colour and light led her to studying glass. She holds an MA in Glass from the University of Sunderland (2004) where she specialised in kiln formed and sand-cast glass techniques. In this time she further explored various ways public art could have a positive impact on wellbeing. Verholt's abstract paintings represent her curiosity and studies in psychology and consciousness. Her paintings are often rich in layers, texture and movement - representing the complex experience of being. She is currently working with a team of neuroscientists at the Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science - exploring consciousness through experiments, studio research and conversation.