About HollyHock

HollyHock is the alias of Mirjam Wagensveld (1975): I am  screenprinter and stencilart painter and live and work in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 

The alias 'HollyHock' is inspired by  Alcea rosea, a flower which grows very well in an urban environment (like Rotterdam and Amsterdam). The colorful flowers in urban environments are similar to the appearance of colorful streetart in urban environments and so the name HollyHock was found.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or enquiries by e-mail to info@hollyhockart.nl. And for keeping up to date with new work and releases follow me on Facebook and Instagram: 

Releases

 

  • June 2022: my 'Femme fatale' painting (30 x 40 cm cm in a limited edition of 3) is available at 1DROP Gallery. 

 

  • June 2022: release 'Forever blowing bubbles' at 1DROP Gallery. My screenprint 'Forever blowing bubbles' is available at 1 DROP GALLERY. This handpulled print is a limited edition of 8 and is handfinished with spraypaint.

 

  • May 2022: release 'Daydream Flip' at 1DROP Gallery. The collaboration print 'Daydream Flip' by HollyHock & PØNK  released 24 May 2022 at 1DROP Gallery. There is a handfinished main edition of 35 prints and a number of unique handfinished prints.

 

  • January 2022: release 'I know it's over' at Galleri Gunther. The print is available in several limited editions (the pink main edition, the blue special 'glacies' edition and the orange 'sunset' special edition. There is also a number of handfinished prints available and a collab with Aleksander Gunther. For more info and inquiries please contact Galleri Gunther.

 

  • December 2021: Release 'Sophia'  at Galleri Gunther. Galleri Gunther releasexd  a limited edition of my painting 'Sophia'. It is on diplay in the exhibition at AMFI Stord (Norway).Galleri Gunther released  a limited edition of my painting 'Sophia'.

Exhibitions

  • October 2022: Group exhibition 'Layered realities' by Mesh Print Club (Rotterdam)
  • July & August 2022: Group exhibition 'Queens' Go Gallery (Amsterdam)
  • July & August 2022: Group exhibition 'Outside looking in' by Mesh Print Club (Rotterdam)
  • April 2022: Group expo Art booster Neck of the woods III (Rotterdam)
  • April & May 2022: Brighton Rocks 2022 by POP Gallery UK (Brighton)
  • April 2022: Group expo 'Eigenheimers' Kasteel van Rhoon (Rhoon, Netherlands)
  • December 2021: 1DROP POP UP (New York, US)
  • July 2021: Golden Ei Gallery (Weisweil, Germany)

 

Techniques

For my work I use stencilart and screenprint technique. You can read more about these techniques below.

Screenprinting

For screenprinting, you use a frame over which a fine nylon mesh  is stretched. The mesh is coated with a layer of light-sensitive emulsion that blocks the holes in the mesh. The image you want to screenprint is transferred (drawn or printed) onto a transparent sheet. This is placed on the coated screen, after which the frame is exposed to ultraviolet light.

 

When the window is washed out after exposure, any light-sensitive emulsion that has not cured is washed out. You will then be left with a template that matches the design on the transparent sheet.

You then apply ink to the screen and pull it through the mesh with a squeegee. Now the image is transferred to the paper. You can do this as much as you want and make as much copies as you want.

I like to make my work in a limited and limited edition.

I made a short movie where you can see me screenprinting at Mesh Print Club

Screen coated with emulsion

Stencilart

Stencil graffiti is a form of graffiti that makes use of stencils made out of paper, or cardboard to create an image that is easily reproducible.

The desired design is cut out of the selected medium and then the image is transferred to a surface (canvas, wall or paper) through the use of spray paint. I often use multiple layers of stencils on the same image to add colours or create the illusion of depth.

The stencil stays uniform throughout its use, so the artwork can easily be replicated.  that's similar to screenprinting.

I like to make my stencilwork only in a limited and limited edition.

I made a short video from the making of 'Daydream flip' (the collaboration with PONK), where you can see the process of making a stencilart painting.