Unbound

This spring, museum van Bommel van Dam will present an exhibition and accompanying publication on the fascinating life story and multifaceted work of the forgotten artist and gallery owner Giselle Kuster (Venlo, 1911 – Heerlen, 1972). In doing so, the museum in Venlo is playing a driving role in reassessing a progressive female artist.

In addition to works from the museum collection, the presentation will also feature, among other things, ‘missing’ paintings and designs found by the museum through a call to people at home. The exhibition will moreover include art by famous contemporaries and sources of inspiration such as Charley Toorop, Jan Sluijters and Otto van Rees, placing Kuster’s work in a national context. ‘Her paintings could be found in art shops in the 40s and 50s alongside paintings by Toorop and Bart van der Leck, and her works sold for the same price as those of Sluijters. Kuster has so far not received the attention she deserves,’ curator James Hannan concludes.