Biography

Jescika Van Overveld, Sadya Keyrer, and Evert Panis live and create artwork at the Galerie Amsterdam, a center for outsider art in the Netherlands. Galerie Amsterdam is the home for people who have Down Syndrome.  From painting and pottery, to theatre, Galerie Amsterdam supports a creative environment. Top art professors from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Gerrit Rietveld Academie Amsterdam, and Amsterdamse Hogeschool Voor de Konsten (Academy of Fine Arts) guide these artists.  The works by these artists recall the paintings by the expressionist masters of the 20th century and show how individuals with Down Syndrome have a rich and complex mental life.

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Van Overveld uses vivid colors to create imaginative scenes of animals and people.  Art is an outlet that provides her with joy, which is evident in her energetic paintings. Images from her surroundings inspire her to interpret daily scenes. She plays with textures and brushstrokes to create interesting compositions. In her drawings, the way she draws animals and people, demonstrate great observational skills mixed with a pinch of innocence.