Heroes of our time: Nasrin Sotoudeh Painting

Vanessa Jongebloet (born 1969 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands) is a Dutch artist known for her distinctive versatility in both medium and subject matter. Entirely self-taught, her creative journey defies conventional pathways and reflects a commitment to authenticity, freedom, and emotional truth. Leaving school at the age of 14, Jongebloet embraced an alternative lifestyle, living in squats and exploring the fringes of society before eventually settling in the volcanic region of France with her partner, where they built their own home by hand. It was in this rural and raw environment that Jongebloet began to work with a wide variety of natural materials such as wood, stone, and metal. This period of experimentation marked the beginning of her artistic journey, as she crafted original lamp designs that merged functionality with expressive form. Her hands-on relationship with materials remains a defining feature of her work today. Seeking to refine her skills, Jongebloet trained as a decorative painter, learning and mastering classical techniques including fresco, mural painting, trompe l’oeil, faux marble, and gilding. Her work has adorned the interiors of stately Dutch canal houses and castles, blending historical tradition with her own emerging artistic voice. At the same time, she began painting on canvas, developing a visual language that was entirely her own—emotive, intuitive, and often charged with social or philosophical undercurrents. Her art moves fluidly between genres and mediums, from abstract landscapes to emotionally resonant portraits, and from sculptural resin pieces to mixed-media explorations. She works in oil, acrylics, ink, resin, plaster, wood, and fabric.. whatever it takes to express a particular sensation or story. Her mineral-shaped resin pieces, evoking geological forms and transformations, have been shown in various solo and group exhibitions. In 2020, Jongebloet gained national attention by winning a televised Dutch painting competition with a powerful portrait of the Chairwoman of the Dutch House of Representatives. This marked a turning point in her public recognition. In 2021, she presented her solo exhibition Heroes of Our Time at the United Nations ‘Palais des Nations’ in Geneva. The series featured large-scale oil portraits of women fighting for human rights around the world—an homage to courage, justice, and resilience.