Cathelijne Blok
Cathelijne's selection at the fair was guided by the overarching theme of accessibility. Art is for everyone and is essential. It can initially surprise you, touch you, or resonate with you through a particular subject or form. Art can offer reflection; on history, look ahead, or simply let you enjoy it. "Art is all around us, and we need to realize how important it is to us."

Object 1 – Rademakers Gallery - Stand 3
Alfhild Sarah Kulper, Dream Guardian, 2025, Hand-tufted and embroidered wool (leftover yarns from the textile industry in India and Nepal), 170 cm x 115 cm x 10 cm
Cathelijne is fascinated by art that surprises you. And that's precisely what Alfhild's work evoked in her. Alfhild creates small, safe worlds you can immerse yourself in using a variety of materials and colors.

Object 2 – Gallery Vriend van Bavink - Stand 23
Koos Buster, Button for world peace, Ceramics, 5 cm x 7 cm x 2 cm
Art can also make you laugh; the unexpected in art can captivate you and make you reflect on what you normally consider mundane or "ordinary." This is something Koos Buster excels at. He creates pieces to reflect on and sparks conversations through art.

Object 3 – Andriesse van Eyck - Stand 27
Natasja Kensmil, Johanna Le Maire, 2021, Oil on canvas, 250 cm x 230 cm
Kensmil is a female artist whose work is in numerous museum collections, and now also on canvas. This representation of a female artist is important to Cathelijne. “Natasja is an important storyteller who exposes history and touches and even confronts us with it.”

Object 4 – #Heejsteck - Stand 92
Tom Putman, Black Roses, 2024, Mixed media, 78 cm x 34 cm x 30 cm
Cathelijne: “This work clearly demonstrates that art doesn't just have to hang on the wall.” Art can appear in so many different forms and materials, and thus speak to everyone differently, and that's okay!

Object 5 – Enseoul - Stand H
Hyeonkyeong You, On the Day I Considered Leaving 2, 2025, Oil on canvas, 201 cm x 190 cm
This work touched Cathelijne; she was simply drawn to it. She believes this is also an important function of art. It can make you feel good or evoke a certain emotion. This particular work evoked a kind of calm and tranquility for Cathelijne amidst the hustle and bustle of all the impressions at the fair.

Jacquill G. Basdew
Basdew is a socio-cultural initiator, curator, and supervisor. Described by Tate Britain as "an emerging voice in the international arts and culture landscape," he represents a young generation at the intersection of art, governance, and community.
"For me, this selection is about the journey towards a connected society, a world in which we truly see and hear each other. But that journey begins with ourselves. It begins with self-reflection, with daring to look at who we truly are. Then with embracing the roles we play in life, allowing emotion and vulnerability, and finally with the realization that we are part of something larger: nature, each other. These five works together form a symbolic journey, a movement from introspection to connection. From me to we."

Object 1 – De Cock Antiques – Stand 6
Rococo Mirror, Gilded Wood, Circa 1755-1760, 84.5 cm x 37 cm
Everything begins with the mirror. This work reminds me that true change always begins within. The graceful forms, almost fluid in their movement, evoke how thoughts and feelings form and reform. For me, this work is about daring to look, truly looking, at yourself. Not at the image the world expects of you, but at the person who lives beneath it.

Object 2 – Daatselaar The Collection – Stand 40
Floris Arntzenius, Portrait of a Pierrot (presumably Buziau), Oil on canvas, 96.5 cm x 77 cm
After the mirror comes the performance. This work depicts a man preparing to go on stage, symbolizing the roles we all play. We are born into a world in which we are constantly performing, consciously or unconsciously. Arntzenius reminds me that there is beauty in that performance, as long as we remain curious about who we are behind the mask. It's an invitation to self-examination and acceptance.

Object 3 – Douwes Fine Art BV – Stand 111
Rembrandt Harmensz. Van Rijn, Self-Portrait, open-mouthed, as if shouting: bust, Etching, 1630, 7 x 5.9 cm Here we encounter emotion. Rembrandt shows us a moment of pure expression, his mouth open, his gaze intense. For me, this work symbolizes the power of allowing feelings—frustration, sadness, and anger. Unexpressed emotions never die. This small self-portrait is a study in humanity. It reminds me that discomfort can also be a source of growth.

Object 4 – Arnold Ligthart Kunsthandel & Bemiddeling - Stand 70
Pieter Starreveld, Air (Man and the Four Elements), Patinated bronze on travertine base, 1967, 33 cm x 45 cm x 23 cm
After the storm comes breath. For me, Starreveld's sculpture of Air symbolizes softness, movement, and freedom. The work invites you to let go, to flow like the air itself. Here, it's no longer about control, but about surrender, about knowing you are part of something bigger, and that you can achieve as much with gentleness as with strength.

Object 5 – Booij Arts Fine Art – Rare Items - Stand 17
Rene Lalique, Vase ‘Douze figurines’ with a decoration of female and male figures, Air-blown white glass with frosted and patinated parts, Circa 1920, Height: 23 cm
This vase brings everything together. The bodies moving around each other catch the light just as people catch each other's presence. The work exudes connection: between man and woman, between light and matter, between me and us. For me, this is the end point of the journey, the moment when introspection transforms into harmony, and self-knowledge translates into connection with others. The transparency, the movement, and the tenderness—everything I'm trying to express—comes together here. It's an ode to humanity. To how light travels through us, and how together we form a greater whole.
 

Jeroen and Jasper Krabbé Jeroen and Jasper Krabbé are like whirlwinds at the fair, and father and son quickly agree on which works they want to highlight. They let their gut guide them: "We always agree pretty quickly, we let our feelings guide us and start with works we'd like to live with." Like painters with a creative eye, they look at works and marvel at techniques and materials.

Object 1 – Dep Art Gallery - Stand 115
Alex Katz, Orange Hat, 1973, Oil on masonite, 27.8 cm x 40.7 cm
The Krabbés find Katz's unique in his way of capturing moments; "It's almost impressionistic; the flatness of the work is his completely unique style, which he always adhered to, even when people didn't like it." His technique is astonishing; he reduces it to the essentials, and his work may seem simple, but he leaves nothing to chance.

Object 2 – Galerie Mia Joosten Amsterdam - Stand 127
Jacqueline de Jong, 'Untitled', Ca. 1963-1964, Oil on canvas, 70.5 cm x 91 cm
De Jong is a female artist who only received the attention she deserves after her death. Why do female artists often spend their lives in the shadow of men, only to be recognized later, the Krabbés wonder aloud. She has a very free, individual language, with thick brushstrokes, hidden figures, and you can feel the passage of time.

Object 3 – Jaski Amsterdam - Stand 39
David Hockney, Self-Portrait in My Living Room, 2019, Color inkjet print on cotton-fiber archival paper, Edition 78/100, 44 cm x 56 cm
Jasper enthusiastically begins to talk when he spots this work by David Hockney. He was once stuck in an elevator with Hockney, and the first thing Hockney said when they were able to get out was, "I just want to have a smoke." It's therefore all the more logical that this self-portrait, in which he captures himself in an intimate moment with a cigarette in his hand, was chosen. Jeroen knows from experience that you can't correct in watercolor. "Everything has to be planned; the blank spaces left are all premeditated steps. There's no doubt in the work, and that's what makes him such a master."

Object 4 – BorzoGallery - Stand 36
Hans van Hoek, Kimono with Swan and Butterfly, Oil on canvas with carved and painted frame, 2017-18, 234 cm x 198 cm
In this work, van Hoek has incorporated the frame into the work by painting it as well. However, the outermost edge is still worked, so you have to look closely to see what you actually see. He is a courageous painter who dares to remove things and replace them with new ones. The father and son's favorite detail is the color transition of the bright green-blue stripe into the deep red of the rest of the work.

Object 5 – Mieke Zilverberg - Stand 78
Wood Statute of Man, Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty, reign of Pepi II, Circa 2250 BC
Jeroen: “Look at that smile, look at that smile.” Jasper: “Yes, and look at how beautiful the technique behind the hair is, and especially how beautiful the condition is.” Gallery owner Mieke Zilverberg then explains that it's not hair, but a wig they wore back then to keep lice at bay. The Krabbés call being able to admire something so old and in such good condition an incredible experience.