Six questions for
Lotte Werkema

How do you describe your own art practice?

I create aids for my limited body. Objects that carry a contradiction within them: the promise of redemption and physical self-improvement on the one hand, and the unattainability of that ideal on the other. They are imaginative innovations that are impossible to use while being worn. I also explore this tension through performances and other work where the (often absurd) relationship of my body to the outside world takes center stage.

The colorful aids appear playful, familiar, and strange. A spherical sculpture turns out to fit around the hips and then suddenly becomes a pair of protective trousers. I often work with light yet strong materials used in orthopedics, among other fields. Thermoplastic, foam clay, electrical wire, fabric and found parts, such as wheels or handles.

When a sculpture is finished, I photograph it while my twin sister wears it. In this way, the abstract sculpture transforms into an aid applied to a body of flesh and blood.

Which question or theme is central in your work?

The contrast between freedom and control recurs constantly in my work. The appropriation of a tool or situation as a form of resistance against matters beyond my power. This gives me ultimate freedom as an artist.

What was your first experience with art?

As a child, my mother took me to openings at the local Center for Visual Arts. And on trips through Europe, including to the Prado in Madrid and to Italy, where I saw 15th-century frescoes in a monastery. This must have been my first introduction. Although at the time, I was more impressed by the atmosphere and the imposing buildings than by the art itself.

What is your greatest source of inspiration?

I create work that stems from my personal reality: life with a physical disability and the objects I cannot avoid in daily life. The constant frustration regarding this, the misplaced sense of being unique, and the continuous search for a solution to my ‘problem’ have proven to be an inexhaustible source of ideas.

What do you need in order to create your work?

I have noticed that I need peace and routine to work well. As a mother of two children and a resident at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam, I have to plan well ahead to get work done. Outside of that, I shouldn’t try to do too many other things.

What work or artist has most recently surprised you?

I must honestly say that I often lack the energy and time to attend openings or exhibitions. However, there are a few things that have recently made an impression. Last week, I was at the Rijksmuseum with my son and daughter, and the beautiful collection of early Dutch painting moved me. I had never seen it before. And recently, Frans van Lent performed the performance ‘Bridging’ (2026) in Dordrecht. He filled a bucket with water on one side of the bridge, crossed the bridge, and emptied it on the other side. Van Lent repeated this action for an hour. This is exactly what appeals to me in performance: making such a simple action so meaningful. I admire that.