ABOUT

Ingrid Baars, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Ingrid Baars graduated from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam in the early 90s and worked as an independent illustrator and photographer until 2009 when she decided to focus entirely on her artistic career, which previously coexisted with her commercial activities for clients like Nike, Nikon, Dutch National Ballet, Singapore Airlines etc.

Her work is characterized by a photographic collage style that she kept developing throughout her career (already won her the Illustration Year Award in 1997) and became very apparent in her solo shows e.g. About Face, Inside/Outside, Artist Lovers, etc.

In 2011 Ingrid started with her African series ‘Afrique’ drawn to the aesthetics of black women and classical African sculptures. “There was grace, symbolism, mythology and a deeper almost religious sense that fascinated me”. This series continues and incorporates many facets among which the image of the ‘Black Madonna’ takes pride of place, as much inspired by the situation of African American women as by a historical phenomena especially in medieval France; an ancient concept of nature, fertility, motherhood, protection, creation.

Ingrid is one of those artists that keep the whole process in their own hand from the preliminary photo-shoots to the synergy of images and fragments of photographic images that constitute the finished artwork. Ingrid’s work combines different elements and is crossing boundaries of some fenced off territories as photography, fashion, manipulation, collage and classical African art into a synthesis, a new aesthetic.

This aestheticism and romanticism of beauty is imbued with a deeper sense of awareness, of consciousness. Her images are beautiful, yes, but powerful as well. Although very much construed, they create their own reality and seem to possess a life of their own.

Women have always been a main source of inspiration for me and my subject for as long as I remember. In my series with the working title ‘l’Afrique’ I started out with a growing fascination for classical African art as was the case with many western artists in the beginning of the 20st century. Like them, I wasn’t as much interested in the ethnographic side of it but purely in the way the human form was conceived and treated by different peoples especially in West Africa.

I started to explore the various visual languages with the help and advice of close friends and in the process grew a special fondness to Fang sculpture. I sought out African female models for photo shoots in the studio and started what turned into a very serious project with much more angles and surprises than I originally expected.

There was the ever-present artistic component where I had to make numerous conscious and unconscious decisions. My work developed from more graphic combinations of classical African art with real female bodies towards a much more free interpretation giving fashion and jewelry, closely linked to art, a place in my creations e.g. Iris van Herpen, Heaven Tanudiredja, House of Malakai, Laurel DeWitt. I always had a fascination for fashion.

In combining women of color with the ‘abstraction’ of classical African art I not only encountered artistic challenges but I also touched on socio-economic issues associated with being a black woman, both in Africa and especially the US as well as on the issue of cultural appropriation.

2025

ARTITLEDcontemporary, London Art Fair, UK

2024

ARTITLEDcontemporary, PAN Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Gallery Untitled, group show, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Gallery Untitled, North Sea Jazz Art, group show, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2023
NYCH Gallery, solo show, Chicago, US
Gallery Untitled, solo show, North Sea Jazz Art, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

2022
Størpunkt, group show, Munich, Germany
Gallery Untitled, solo show, North Sea Yazz Art, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Gallery Untitled, solo show, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Gallery Untitled, Haute Photographie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

2021
NYCH Gallery, group show, Chicago, US

2020
NYCH Gallery, solo show, Chicago, US

2019
Rijksmuseum Twenthe, The Naked Truth, Enschede, Netherlands
Studio Ingrid Baars, solo show, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Joseph Gross Gallery, Crystal Streets Event, LA, US
Montagut Gallery, Summer group show, Sitges, Spain

2018
Photo Beijing 2018, Image – Time, Beijing
Kerchache/Pivaty, solo show, Paris, France
Kerchache/Pivaty, FotoFever, Paris, France
Kerchache/Pivaty, Myconian collection art show, Mykonos, Greece
Joseph Gross Gallery, The Seattle Art Market Fair, Seattle, US
Gallery Montagut, solo show, Barcelona, Spain

2017
ArtLeadHer, Lawrence Alkin Gallery, London, UK
Fayetteville Underground, Fayetteville, Arkansas, US
ArtLeadHer, Kingwoman, Pen and Brush, NY, US

2016
Laeremans Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
Rademakers Gallery, Context Art Fair, NY, US
ArtLeadHer, Joseph Gross Gallery, NY, US
Gallery Untitled, KunstRai, Netherlands
Rademakers Gallery, solo show, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rademakers Gallery, Affordable Art Fair, Hamburg, Germany
Azart Gallery, Art Basel Miami Beach (Scope), US

2015
Ozwald Boateng, London, UK
Christie’s Multiplied Art Fair, London, UK

2014
Whitford Fine Art, BRAFA, Brussels, London, UK
Bruneaf, Brussels, Belgium
Parcours des Mondes, Paris, France
Christie’s Multiplied Art Fair, London, UK
Ozwald Boateng, London, UK

2013
Gallery Fine Art Studio, solo show L’Afrique c’est Chic, Portraits, Brussels, Belgium
Rademakers Gallery, solo show, L’Afrique Part 2, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Whitford Fine Art, BRAFA, Brussels, Belgium
Whitford Fine Art, Palm Beach Art Fair, Palm Beach, US
Gallery Fine Art Studio, Impressions d’Afrique, Brussels, Belgium
Agbessi Contemporary Art, Parcours des Mondes, Paris, France
Alcazar, Parcours des Mondes, Paris, France
Galerie Vallois, Le choix de Valentine Plisnier, Paris, France
Agbessi Contemporary Art, solo show, L’Afrique, Paris, France

2012
Rademakers Gallery, solo show ‘L’Afrique C’est Chic’, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Rademakers Gallery, KunstRai, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Gallery Fine Art Studio, solo show ‘L’Afrique C’est Chic’, Brussels, Belgium
Rademakers Gallery, PAN Art Fair, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rademakers Gallery, group show ARTI, The Hague, Netherlands
Galerie Fine Art Studio, solo show ‘L’Afrique C’est Chic’, Paris, France
Whitford Gallery, solo show ‘L’Afrique C’est Chic’, London, UK

2011
Photo Biennale, Naarden, Netherlands
Rademakers Gallery, group show ARTI, The Hague, Netherlands
Rademakers Gallery, Affordable Art Fair, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rademakers Gallery, Millionaire Fair, Amsterdam, Netherlands
RushArts Gallery, group show ‘Neekid Black Gurls’, NY, US
Rademakers Gallery, Realism Art Fair, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Whitford Gallery, London Art Fair, London, UK
Whitford Gallery, BRAFA, Brussels, London UK

2010
V!p’s Gallery, solo show ‘ScreenSirenArtistLover’, Rotterdam Netherlands
Tartuca Gallery, solo show ‘Ingrid Baars’, Maastricht, Netherlands
V!p’s Gallery, group show, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2009
V!p’s Gallery, solo show ‘ScreenSirenArtistLover’, Amsterdam, Netherlands
V!p’s Gallery, group show, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2008
Club Sense (by V!P’s Gallery), solo show ‘Ingrid Baars’, Paris, France
V!p’s Gallery, group show, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2007
V!p’s Gallery, solo show ‘Inside/Outside’, Rotterdam, Netherlands
V!p’s Gallery, group show, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2006
Scream Gallery, solo show, ‘GLAM’, London, UK
V!p’s Gallery, group show, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2005
V!p’s Gallery, solo show ‘Ingrid Baars’, Rotterdam, Netherlands
BOZAR Museum, group show ‘Icons’, Brussels, Belgium
Gallery Blow Up, group show, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Moraira Gallery, group show ‘Exposition de primavera’, Alicante, Spain
Isabel Bilbao Gallery, Art Valencia Fair, Valencia, Spain
Isabel Bilbao Gallery, group show, Javea-Alicante, Spain
V!p’s Gallery, group show, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2004
Blow Up Gallery, group show, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Solo Gadiot e Mas Gallery, ’Landscapes’, Rotterdam, Netherlands
V!p’s Gallery, Lineart, Gent, Belgium
Isabel Bilbao Gallery, group show ‘Artemania’, Javea-Alicante, Spain
V!p’s Gallery, group show, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2003
V!p’s Gallery, solo show ‘About Face’, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Blow Up Gallery, solo show ‘Faced’, Amsterdam, Netherlands
V!p’s Gallery, group show, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2001
V!p’s Gallery, solo show ‘Passion Play’, Rotterdam, Netherlands

1999
Kunsthal, ‘Terugblik ’99-89’, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Awards

2020 – Honorable mention Beautiful Bizarre Art Price, category digital art
2011 – Winner, London Photographic Association (LPA) ‘Commended’, category The Nude, ‘L’Afrique c’est Chic’
2011 – Winner 2nd place – Merit of excellence, Color Awards USA category: Fashion, Photography Masters Cup,
2009 – Nominee NYPF 2009, New York Photo Festival, category Fine Art
2009 – Nominee Color Awards USA categories Advertising & Nude Photography, Masters Cup – 3rd Annual
2008 – Nominee, Screening Award Berlin
2008 – Winner, category Photography by ADCN (Art Directors Club Netherlands)
2005 – Nominee category Photography by ADCN (Art Directors Club Netherlands)
1997 – Winner, Illustration Year Award, The Netherlands

Criticaletteraria, interview, March 2021
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, issue 32, 2021
Zaniah, Open the Book Magazine, 2019
Four Magazine, Hotels and Lifestyle, cover & interview, 2018
Shot Magazine, Venice, Italy, cover & interview, 2018
Upscale Living, interview by Deve Sanford, 2018
Image – Time, catalogue, Photo Beijing, 2018
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, no. 17, Australia, 2017
Patrick A. Howell, Huffington Post, February 2017
Talk, Life and Artstyle Magazine, 2012
Villa d’Arte, November 2016, cover & interview
Bleaq, interview, 2016
Ingrid Baars, ‘L’Afrique’, catalogue/monography, ed. by Barbara VanderLinden, Fine Art Studio, 2013
Kunst und Auktionen, no. 13, August, 2013
Monsieur/Mademoiselle, March 2013, Ingrid Baars, mélange des genres
Another Africa, Art & Culture, Joyce Bidouzou-Coudray, The poetic psyche of female iconography, March 13, 2013
Valentine Plisnier, Le primitivisme dans la Photographie, November 2012, pp. 180-181
Talk, art & lifestyle, no. 22, November/December 2012
The Economist, Intelligent Life, October 2012
The Word, Philippe Pourhashemi, interview, 2012
ASVOF, Phillipe Pourhashemi, 2012
New York Beacon, interview by Danny Simons, January 19 – 25, 2012
Cutting Edge, Die Gestalten Verlag, Berlin Germany, 2011
Fresh Volume 3, MAGMA Brand design Germany, 2011
New Industry Arts, Highlights, 2010
Illusive 3, Die Gestalten Verlag, Berlin Germany, 2009
The Keywords on Visual Arts in The Netherlands, IDEAfried Studio Taiwan, 2008
Ingrid Baars, Monography selected work 2000-2007, Artemis Netherlands, 2007
200 Best Illustrators World Wide, Lurzers Archive, 2007
Illusive 2, Die Gestalten Verlag, Berlin Germany, 2007
All Alure, Die Gestalten Verlag, Berlin Germany, 2006
200 Best Illustrators Worldwide, Lurzer’s Archive, 2005
Eneco Art Collection, by Eneco Energy Co., 2006