Soft Earth — An abstract landscape and a portrait of a woman

by Arjen Roos

In *Zachte Aarde*, I allow a female portrait and an abstract landscape to merge into one another. The face does not form a traditional portrait, but rather a world of planes, lines and soft transitions. The woman’s contours become hills, valleys and tranquil horizons. Her eyelid transforms into a resting place for a small, seated figure, as if she has briefly withdrawn into her own thoughts.

The composition is built up from geometric sections that subtly shift in colour and atmosphere. This arrangement gives the work a slightly cubist character, whilst the organic forms prevent it from becoming austere or aloof. Warm earth tones – terra, sand, clay and muted shades of green – lend it a Mediterranean feel. For me, the use of colour evokes the warmth of a landscape slowly shaped by the sun.

Although the small woman may bring to mind meditation or yoga, I did not want to make the image too literal or spiritual. For me, it is primarily about a moment of calm: simply sitting, looking and not having to solve anything. The anonymous figure leaves room for one’s own interpretation. Perhaps she is looking outwards, or perhaps inwards.

With this work, I didn’t want to depict feminine beauty through fine details, but through posture, form, colour and presence. The combination of portrait and landscape makes her both human and monumental. ‘Soft Earth’ is therefore a warm, tranquil work of art in which tranquillity and imagination are more important than a single, unambiguous meaning.