My name is Luna van der Straaten (2001), a visual artist based in Amsterdam. In my work I explore the complexity of being human through themes such as life and death, the unconscious, transience, and eternity. My paintings, drawings, and printmaking unfold as layered visual narratives, where personal memories, texts, photos, objects, and symbols come together. By leaving room for imagination, emotion, and the irrational, I search for ways to approach the mystery of existence and the tension between consciousness and the unconscious.
My working process moves between control and intuition. Each piece begins with a feeling, as if it presents itself to me and I simply need to guide it. I work in layers, adding, removing, and reshaping, letting mistakes, revisions and unexpected turns become just as vital as conscious decisions. In this way, each work is as much about the search as it is about the result.
I draw inspiration from philosophical, religious, and historical sources, as well as from spontaneous visual encounters in daily life. Symbolism serves as a bridge between the visible and the hidden, giving form to what often escapes language.
In a time when the rational, measurable, and individual often dominate, I see exploring the unconscious and irrational as a necessary counterbalance. I aspire to enrich our image of humanity by creating space for the intuitive, emotional, and unseen dimensions within ourselves, and I want my work to offer a place for that exploration.
EXHIBITIONS
Expositieruimte 38CC "Fruiting bodies" - Delft (19/07 - 14/09 2025, group show)
Factor IJ - Amsterdam (02/07 - 31/07 2025, solo show)
Exposure, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (26/06 - 01/07 2024)
Studio K - Amsterdam (01/03 - 01/05 2024, solo show)
Fuse, Troef - Leiden (06/10 - 04/11 2023, group show)
Death By Dagger exhibition, ACU - Utrecht (03/09 - 30/09 2023, solo show)
De Nijverheid “Soul, mind, life soul” - Utrecht (06/02 - 27/02 2023, group show)
Festival Ongeluk! Amsterdam (13/01 2023, group show)
De Utrechtse Boekenbar - Utrecht (05/11 2021, group show)
Festival Dwaalspoor - Vlissingen (06/11 - 07/11 2021, group show)
INTERNSHIPS
Jonat Deelstra (February & March 2023)
Munir de Vries (May - July 2023)
STUDIES
BA Illustration – Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (2020-2024)
CONTACT
+31 6 81509606
lunavanderstraaten@gmail.com
Instagram: @luna.vanderstraaten
