This is the story I imagined for Margriet Hemelaers who lived in Brabant in the 17th century: Margriet enjoyed long summer nights. She didn’t like waking up early. Somehow, she didn’t fit in. She didn’t find working on the land or at the house much fun. Her mother said that life wasn’t about fun. It sure wasn’t. It was mostly hard and dangerous. When they ventured outside the village they could get robbed and plundering soldiers demanded pay and food whenever they passed. She would hide with the children, afraid of what these soldiers might do. But there were good days too: Margriet enjoyed cooking and of all the women she knew, she made the best butter. On those long summer nights, she would sit outside with her sister Marieken and dream of different lives, as travelling merchants, as artists making beautiful statues in church or as rich spoiled widows.

Technique: Stained and leaded glass, sewed and printed linen in a composition of different collected materials

Size: 100 x 100 x 230 cm

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