Maaike van Wijk was born in 1972 and grew up near Amsterdam.
She studied at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute and the University of Amsterdam.
Her upbringing in a family of frequent travelers shaped her global outlook.
She has visited over 50 countries, learning to appreciate beauty, people, and nature.
In 1993, a visit to MoMA in New York left a deep impression on her.
Seeing Van Gogh’s Starry Night inspired her to begin painting.
She also started photographing the world around her. In 2019, Maaike moved to South Africa with her husband. Together, they opened a boutique hotel near Cape Town. There, she was struck by the amount of waste in the environment.
During the Covid pandemic, she bought a piece of art made from waste by a township artist. This moment sparked a creative transformation in her work. She began making art from found and donated objects.
Now back in the Netherlands, she works from her studio. Her mixed media artworks include old paper, magazines, and discarded items. Friends, family, and neighbors collect materials for her: caps, toys, buttons, cables, and more. She also finds items on the street and in thrift stores. Her work is meant to be viewed both from a distance and up close. From afar, you see the full image; up close, the details and materials are revealed. Her art gives waste a new life and encourages a more beautiful, conscious world.
