‘Moza’ | Merijn Kavelaars | MGHCube by Margreeth Olsthoorn | Rotterdam

Merijn Kavelaars (1985, The Netherlands) has worked for years across painting and installation, building a practice shaped by layering and intuition. His work develops in motion – through streets, temporary studios and shifting environments — guided less by fixed ideas, and more by what materials and situations allow. After a long period of living and working all over the world, he has recently returned to his roots in Waalre, where he has established a permanent studio. This return marks a shift inward: towards the landscape of his childhood.

‘Moza’ begins out of sight. Beneath each canvas lies a constellation of objects drawn from Kavelaars’ early life: hand-moulded ceramic boots, a bow and arrow, fragments of toys. Hidden from view, they form the physical and emotional groundwork of each piece. What follows is not composed in advance but created in response.

This way of working took shape during a residency in Tepoztlán, Mexico. Surrounded by a dense, unfamiliar landscape, Kavelaars found himself confronted with memories of childhood, particularly those tied to his relationship with his mother. The method embraces unpredictability. 

Rather than controlling the outcome, Kavelaars allows materials to find their own direction, testing the limits of chance while working with uncertainty. Allowing the environment to act as both support and starting point. It marked a move away from representation towards a more open, responsive form of abstraction.

The invitation for ‘Moza’ features a fragment of a cat, a painting he made as a kid. Kavelaars remembers imagining himself as that animal: moving freely, taking risks, trusting he would always land on his feet. That instinct runs through the exhibition. To dig, to trust, and let go.

–

The exhibition Moza is a follow up show from the exhibition ‘Boots’ running at No Mans Art Gallery in Amsterdam.  

Kavelaars is based in Amsterdam and has spent time living, attending residencies and working in Shanghai, Iran, Hong Kong, Mexico and Taiwan. His work is a part of several worldwide private collections and museums. 

Margreeth Olsthoorn

Wilhelminakade 52

3072 AR Rotterdam

Open: Tuesday -Saturday 10:00-18:00 / Sunday 12:00-18:00