I grew up in the Netherlands and was into tennis as a child. I was among the top ten players in the national rankings for several years. After school, I decided to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology. Following that, I moved to Scotland for a PhD in Coastal Engineering at the University of Aberdeen. However, I’ve had always had an interest in drawing. So, after finishing my degree, I took private art lessons from some well-known artists in Aberdeen. My current work now is multidisciplinary. I blend visual arts with filmmaking, technology, and Artificial Intelligence. I’m interested in making visual art that’s dynamic and interactive, rather than just static. Many of my projects involve collaborations with writers, performers, dancers, and composers. I use various mediums like theatre, film, and live audio-visual installations to tell real-life stories often by marginalised communities.
What attracted you to a career in tech?
My approach to the world is analytical. I always start with “but why?” It’s that rational foundation that initially drew me to engineering. I naively thought that creativity and social complexities did not come into play in that field. Over time, I came to see that engineering also relies on creativity and perception of social dynamics. Now, I apply a degree of engineering to my art. And then art is storytelling, which through my socially engaged practice gave me a much richer societal understanding. I recognised it was important to allow emotion to mix with a rational, methodical approach. In history, many artists used scientific approaches in their work. Turner studied colour theory, da Vinci explored anatomy, and Maria Sibylla Merian’s paintings advanced the study of entomology.
First career aspiration as a child?
I was inspired by Beryl Markham who was the first person to fly solo from England to North America in 1936. I wanted to be a F-16 pilot, but my eyesight is not great, so this got abandoned.
Favourite past time?
Walking with my rescue dog Oliver, wild water swimming in little bays, beaches and lochs. Rock climbing is my newest addition – I love my new muscles!
Big inspiration in your life?
I find Ada Lovelace an amazing woman. One recurring theme in feedback of my art productions was the compelling combination of drawing and music. I revisited my engineering network, and this exploration led to ‘Painting Music’; a research project that investigates the fundamental connections between visual art and music using Explainable AI. Painting Music is a machine intelligence that creates music from live drawing, and aligns with Ada Lovelace’s vision, when she described a machine capable of composing music.