Jade van der Mark

My painting practice begins with observing everyday social environments. I am drawn to the subtle dynamics that unfold when people gather in public spaces: cafés, terraces, cultural venues, and urban interiors. In these settings, individuals share the same environment while simultaneously performing their identities, negotiating visibility, and occupying space within complex social structures.

Working primarily with oil on large-scale canvases, I construct figurative scenes in which groups of people interact, observe one another, and move through layered social situations. I am particularly interested in the act of looking: how people watch and are watched, and how visibility shapes behaviour within collective environments.

My background in fashion design strongly influences the way I approach figures. Clothing, posture, and gesture become visual signals of identity, status, and belonging. Within these compositions, women often occupy central positions, reflecting both the realities of contemporary social life and the need to make visible voices and perspectives that have historically been underrepresented in art.

Inspired by the growing recognition of women artists and the importance of amplifying their presence within cultural narratives, my work seeks to portray women not as passive subjects but as active participants within the social and visual field. Through expressive colour and rhythmic compositions, I create layered scenes where multiple narratives unfold simultaneously.

Many of my paintings are based on direct observation of urban life, particularly in cities such as Paris and London. By translating these fleeting moments into large-scale paintings, I aim to capture the tension between individuality and the collective structures that shape how we appear and claim space in contemporary public life.


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