In a time of noise, uncertainty, and collective exhaustion, San Jose-based abstract artist Sieglinde Van Damme offers something rare: a visual sanctuary to breathe.

Her upcoming solo exhibition, Below the Surface: a life philosophy made visible, runs September 3–28, 2025, at Whitney Modern in Los Gatos, CA. Bringing together work from all four of Van Damme’s current series, the show reveals a creative practice rooted in quiet rebellion and soulful clarity.

With layered textures, fluid movements, and emotional resonance, Van Damme’s art offers not just beauty, but relief, reflection, and release. Her work is guided by a signature life philosophy: “re-imagine what else is possible.” ™ Each piece invites viewers not to escape life, but to re-enter it from a place of possibility.

Rather than a conventional gallery presentation, Below the Surface introduces unexpected elements. A philosophy wall replaces the standard artist bio, transforming the space into a visual manifesto. A mirror installation inscribed with the words “What else could this be? Who else could you be?” reframes the exhibition as an immersive experience, asking visitors to see themselves reflected in the art. Each painting also carries a sealed, handwritten letter from the artist to its future collector: a personal reflection on inspiration and intention.

“My work was never meant to just be passive decoration, it’s energy and inspiration. A visual reminder that there is always another possibility, even if you cannot see it yet,” Van Damme explains. “In chaotic times, beauty and reflection are not luxuries—they are lifelines.”

More than a solo exhibition, Below the Surface is a contemplative offering: an invitation to pause, reconnect, and shift.

About the Artist

Sieglinde Van Damme is a multi-award-winning abstract artist whose work invites a simple, yet profound question: What else is possible—here, now, for you?

Born in Europe and now based in California, Sieglinde’s journey from economist to artist reflectsthe very essence of her art—bold reinvention, quiet rebellion, and soulful clarity. Her abstract paintings and photo-based works often move across mediums, echoing the fluid nature of identity, choice, and becoming.

Rather than portraying what is, her art acts as a visual mirror into what could be. Rooted in her own immigration story and the realization that she could not simply "transplant" her old self into a new world, her work explores the space between realities—the tension, beauty, and potential that lives there, waiting to be discovered.

Sieglinde’s pieces don’t shout. They stir. Subtle, textured, and emotionally alive, her work is collected internationally and has been exhibited across the U.S., Europe, Russia, India, and Japan. Each piece carries a quiet defiance—an elegant reminder that regret is not a medal, and successful change and reinvention are always possible.

Artist Statement

I’ve never considered art & creativity as something separate from life. For me, it’s a way of thinking. A way of being. A way of remembering that no matter what, there’s always another option we can choose. There is always a new possibility waiting to be discovered - even if we cannot see it (yet)!

My work is rooted in that rebellious refusal to stay stuck in the status quo. I work mostly abstract because it leaves the meaning open-ended and allows the work to meet you where you are right now … and then grow and evolve alongside you. I allow each piece to evolve intuitively: layered, textured, sometimes chaotic, often refined, always sophisticated. My process is fluid. Mediums shift and combine. The message is deep and subtly unfolds. I don’t force clarity; I allow discovery.

Much of this comes from my own experience immigrating from Europe to California in 1998. I realized early on I couldn’t simply carry my identity across the ocean unchanged. I had to reimagine—not who I was, but who I could be to live and adapt to a new society. That question stayed with me. It still lives in every canvas or project I touch: What else can this be? Who else can you be?

I don’t create work to impress or explain. I create to awaken something in you. My art isn’t about giving answers—it’s about offering space. Space to feel. Space to shift. Space to remember what freedom feels like when it's yours to define. We are all creators. Life is not a fixed path - it’s a living canvas. And regrets? They’re not medals. They’re simply reminders that we’re still choosing. So choose again. Choose freely. Choose beauty. Choose happiness and fulfillment. And if my work can be a visual companion on that journey … then I’ve done my part.

Exhibition Details

Below the Surface: a life philosophy made visible
A Solo Exhibition by Sieglinde Van Damm
September 3–28, 2025

Whitney Modern, Los Gatos, CA
24 N Santa Cruz Avenue (2nd floor)
Los Gatos, CA 95030

Opening Reception: Sunday, September 7, 2–4pm
(RSVP: https://bit.ly/Sep7opening)

Gallery Hours: Wed–Sun | 12–5pm

For additional information or press inquiries, contact:
sieglinde@studiosieg.com
Images, interviews, and private previews available upon request.

Learn more at www.whitneymodern.com
Artist website: www.sieglindevandamme.com
Artist instagram: @sieglinde.art