Monique Meij-Beekman (1963) paintings of bodies and portraits in chalk tones, painted on loose canvases.

The first thing that stands out about her work is that it is not stretched, the canvas hangs loosely on the wall by a thread. In the gallery with its white walls and gray floor, the eleven canvases in gray and brown tones have an immense impact. Even if you cannot yet see the images, the work already makes an impression.

Each canvas tells its own story. Monique Meij-Beekman's paintings release something because she portrays man in his pure vulnerability.

She loves to paint skin, bones, muscles, tendons, shine and folds in all their details - and she does this technically excellently - but at the same time she is a master of omission. The atmosphere she creates in this way offers room for personal interpretation.