Dutch artist Peggy Kuiper’s first solo show at Reflex in Amsterdam, ‘The Conversation That Never Took Place’, is curated across its two galleries, the original art deco space which sits in the shadow of the Rijksmuseum, and the newer, canal-side residence. Walk into the former and you’re immediately confronted with powerful aplomb by The Bathers II, 2023, a work in acrylic and oil stick captured on linen. The four bold figures with their almost identical faces work to pull you towards them, the canvas thrilling with its layers of hot pinks and acid green, slabs of deep red. There are angular limbs and long skinny fingers, and where these figures reside seems entirely abstract.
This particular work is a fine introduction to Kuiper’s signatures: African mask-like faces, exaggerated bodies and sublime colours, all of which result in work that feels steeped in some kind of wonderful mystery.
