Erik Mattijssen depicts everyday life with a unique twist. His colourful portrayals are devoid of people, although their presence is tangible. Under the title Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Museum MORE presents a varied selection of works from the artist’s oeuvre from the last 25 years, in which ostensibly cheery, nostalgic subjects elicit a sense of alienation. His drawings in pastel, gouache and pencil on paper of puppets, household items and interiors evoke an intimate – at times oppressive – atmosphere, with surprising depth.
This exhibition is on display in the Garden Gallery from Sunday 13 April to Sunday 26 October 2025.
Photos by Henni van Beek.
Everyday things
Mattijssen’s work presents familiar objects in unexpected combinations, and in unfamiliar scenarios. Some are family things; others are from the artist’s travels since his years at the academy. He brings these objects together until the image is sufficiently rich to lead its own life, to tell a story. This may be a simple story: that of a bucket, a drum, a bed, a suitcase or a tin can. But it can also result in an actual space, in which all sorts of things appear to have recently happened.
Traces of life
Erik Mattijssen has feasted his eyes as an artist all around the world. His work features many references to other places, other countries, which have inspired his work: a room in Berlin, a cactus greenhouse in Kolkata or a haberdashery store in Paramaribo. Yet Mattijssen’s works are never exact representations of reality, but rather composed depictions of memories, objects and situations. People hardly ever appear in his work, but we can feel their presence. ‘I’m intrigued by what remains after something has happened, after people have left the room. Traces of life,’ says the artist.
A celebratory retrospective at Museum MORE
The exhibition at Museum MORE not only marks the museum’s tenth anniversary, but also the fortieth anniversary of Mattijssen’s first solo exhibition. With some 50 works, the exhibition offers an extensive retrospective of his oeuvre from the past 25 years. Mattijssen created a monumental work especially for this exhibition: a painting of a merry-go-round, nearly four metres high and seven metres wide. The resulting exhibition celebrates life in all its richness.
This exhibition is curated by Museum MORE curator Julia Dijkstra and Erik Mattijssen.
About Erik Mattijssen
Erik Mattijssen (1957, Veenendaal, NL) grew up in Bennekom and became an artist following a detour through pedagogy. In 1979, three years into his study, he decided to follow his heart and enrolled at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. Mattijssen graduated from the academy in 1984. Although he initially planned to become a graphic designer, he found true love in visual art. Mattijssen later taught at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, inspiring generations of artists as a visual arts tutor and mentor for more than 30 years, until his departure in 2020.
In his studio in a side street off the Warmoesstraat in Amsterdam, Mattijssen creates colourful, narrative still lifes. He also regularly seeks inspiration abroad, with work periods in countries including Spain, India, France, Suriname and Ireland. In 2021, Mattijssen’s dedication to the field was acknowledged with the NN Art Award, presented during Art Rotterdam.
Mattijssen’s work has previously been presented at museums including Museum Jan Cunen (Oss), the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Valkhof Museum (Nijmegen) and Kunsthal Rotterdam. His work has also been acquired for the collections of the AkzoNobel Art Foundation, Dela Art Collection, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam and Collectie Rechtbank Amsterdam. Mattijssen has made several large commissioned works for the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital (Amsterdam), the Isala Hospital (Meppel), the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital (Utrecht), the LAM Museum (Lisse) and the Verwey Museum (Haarlem).
Book
Coinciding with the opening of the exhibition is the launch of a book about the work of Erik Mattijssen, including an English edition, titled Noticing Things (Dutch title: Oog voor dingen). The book contains a wide selection of Mattijssen’s works, and offers insight into where he finds his inspiration. The text is by the author Dirk van Weelden, and the book includes a selection of Judith Herzberg’s poetry and theatrical work. The book is designed by Esther de Vries.
Winterstalling in the making
