Manga Girl by Sharon van Dams

Sharon is the artist behind the design of Manga Girl, with execution on the wall by Painture Collective, which is similar to other walls in the RSAM collection featuring designs by Herenplaats artists. The production was at the time arranged by Maison Savant. The inspiration for the artist was the manga cartoons; it reminisces about that drawing style but with the artist’s personal touch, of course! Painture Collective maintained the original colors of Sharon’s painting. Still, it extended the green part so we could better fit the wall in a larger composition. The girl’s expression is sad and vague, a theme that runs throughout Sharon’s art. 

In contrast, the Manga Girl is very colorful and vivid, creating a duality of sensations for the viewer. Something exceptional about this mural is that Painture Collective put effort not only into the drawing looking precisely the same as the original, but also recreated the way Sharon paints. She often leaves marks of the material used due to the amount of expression she puts into every artwork. This results in solid lines of the crayons or the colored pencils.

About the artist:

Sharon van Dams is a featured artist in the collective/atelier ‘Galerie Atelier Herenplaats.’ This place dedicates to the support of Outsider Art. This initiative started in 1991 by Frits Gronert and Richard Bennaars. In 2017, Sharon earned a spot in the atelier, where she practiced her skills four days a week and became one of the most productive artists there. Before joining the atelier, she attended Auris College, a school for students who have difficulty expressing themselves through language. At Auris, she excelled and gained a place in the Talent Class, receiving encouragement from visual artist Louise Hessel. Her grandmother also inspired her, passing down her drawing talent.

This artist has favorite techniques, like colored pencils and crayons, giving her drawings a unique texture, primarily because she uses the materials very expressively, putting a lot of strength on each line she makes. Sharon executes mainly women portraits, seen in artworks such as the “Manga Girl”. Their facial features express apathy or a peculiar, staring look, accompanied by tilted heads, which often gives the impression of a horror-like drawing and evokes a sensation of alienation. She primarily creates colorful art, but occasionally she uses a grey or black pencil. Dots abound in her work, filling the space or forming patterns that cover the entire drawing surface.

About Outsider Art and Galerie Atelier Herenplaats:

Outsider Art, also known as Arte Brute, emerges from individuals who break away from the rules of art academies and often create without social constraints. This art form typically showcases an unpolished and raw appearance. It comes directly from the inner self of the artist, without passing through a “filter” of quality and conceptualization, resulting in a very individual style that doesn’t fit the traditional art standards. A few examples of outsider art are people who belong to culturally isolated groups, such as children, psychiatric patients, prisoners, or homeless people. In the case of Herenplaats, they dedicate their formation to people with intellectual disability or psychiatric backgrounds. The atelier adapts to their necessities, where the employees are trained in art, teaching/and social work.