Unbounded

‘… she has so far not received the attention she deserves’, says James Hannah, the curator of the exhibition on Giselle Kuster’s work. One of the forgotten artists and gallery owners with a fascinating life story, her work was found in art shops in the 40s and 50s next to names like Charley Toorop and Bart van der Leck. Even though her paintings sold for the same price as those of Jan Sluijters, she hasn’t received her well-deserved attention – a task the museum has taken seriously to complete. She hardly had major exhibitions in her lifetime and worked as an illustrator for newspapers and magazines. She travelled to Indonesia with her first husband and lived in Formentera with her second husband until she was banished from the island for nude sunbathing on the beach – something that was forbidden at the time. Her travels expanded her range across a multitude of styles being inspired by nature, other women, children, the animal world. An interesting and rich character full of stories, Giselle Kuster is definitely a feminist who is yet to be discovered and understood. Together with showcasing her work alongside her contemporaries such as Charley Toorop, Jan Sluijters and Otto van Rees, the museum will publish her life’s story.