Solo exhibition
‘Looking for Janey’
Gallery Pulchri, the Hague
February 24th – March 19th 2024
The object that ignited Margje Bijl’s passion for Jane Morris in 2004 is the framed photocopy with the words ‘Previous life’ written on it. As predicted by the cup-bearer she recognised herself in Jane Morris’s gaze. Exactly twenty years after the photocopy was given to her, Margje wishes to explore how this discovery has influenced her artistry with the solo exhibition called ‘Looking for Janey’.
After discovering Jane Morris’s name and life story in 2009 Margje Bijl first focused on their physical similarities. What she saw as the biggest difference, her hair, became a topic in itself. Based on the works of art for which Jane Morris posed in the 19th century Margje created the series ‘Hair as in’.
Over the years Margje gradually let go of the concept of the other and the waves of Janey’s hair changed into the waves of Margje’s youth, which she spent on a liveaboard barge in Friesland. With the new series ‘Water as in’, Margje shows an authentic self-portrait, within the framework of her visual double biography.
(L) Wet-plate collodion photographs made with Gerjo te Linde, 2016.
(R) Portrait in ink, private collection.
Documentation photographs by Jurgen Huiskes, 2024.
Trio exhibition
‘Nominees Van Ommeren de Voogt
Prize 2018′.
Gallery Pulchri, the Hague
January 12th – February 3rd 2019
The drawing ‘Hair as in August 2018’ was nominated for the Van Ommeren de Voogt prize 2018. Margje Bijl was awarded a group show at Pulchri with nominee Sandra Thie and winner Paul Nassenstein.
‘The work is described as very unique and subtle by the jury members. By going to the edge of abstraction an exciting image is created. Due to the simplicity and good structure of the drawing, an extra dimension is created. The structure of the paper also plays a major role in the drawn image and vice versa. Are these waves or is it hair?’
Jury van Ommeren de Voogt Prize 2018
Solo exhibition
‘A Memory Palace of Her Own’
William Morris Gallery, London
11 January – 9 March 2014
Margje Bijl visited several of Rossetti’s, Jane and William Morris’s former homes and took staged photos on location with the photographer Hein van Liempd. Referring to Jane Morris’s life story Margje transformed Jane’s world into her own, adopting contemporary clothing and poses.
Solo exhibition
‘Reflections on Jane Morris’
Gallery the KunstSuper, Rotterdam
May 22th – July 10th 2010
Dutch artist Margje Bijl (1975) was given a photograph of Jane Morris (1839-1914) and at first glance thought that she was looking at a photograph of herself. The discovery of the striking resemblances between herself and Jane Morris led to the project ‘Reflections on Jane Morris’.
Margje Bijl has created a twilight zone where two women from two different worlds meet. In this twilight zone the visual code language of the Victorian era flows effortlessly into our visual language of today.
(L) Two oval portraits, private collections.
(R) Middle drawing in left row, on loan.
