DNO X YOUNG ARTISTS

DESIGNER OF THE POSTER IMAGES FOR MISSA IN TEMPORE BELLI, LE LACRIME DI EROS AND TOSCA.

Caz Egelie (27) certainly hasn’t sat still since he graduated with a BA in Fine Art and Fine Art and Design in Education from HKU (University of the Arts Utrecht) three years ago. He has compiled several exhibitions, working with installations, video, 3D animations, and live performances, and he’s been working as a teacher and curator. Caz: ‘I’m one of those people who can’t focus on just one thing; I’m happier if I keep trying everything.’

As well as having a broad interest in various fine art forms, Caz also has a penchant for theatre in general and opera in particular: ‘My own work revolves around discovering the essence of theatricality and experimenting with various theatrical elements, such as costume, dance, and actors. I have a huge affinity with opera, as it unifies so many different forms of art. Designing poster images for Dutch National Opera gave me an opportunity to combine my personal interest in opera with my 3D animation skills, and to showcase the results via the DNO platform. It was my dream job.’

The prominent role that theatrical elements play in Caz’s work is clearly reflected in the poster images he designed for the DNO productions, especially the ones designed for Missa in tempore belli, Le lacrime di Eros and Tosca. In these images, he focalizes one character, thereby paying particular attention to remarkable costume elements such as colourful glasses. ‘I like to play with the relationship between real and fake. The process of ‘dressing up’ which an actor goes through before playing a role is connected with this tension, and is symbolized by these costume elements. Moreover, the glasses portrayed on the images are actually worn by the actors who perform my live performances. In this way, the physical and digital worlds – the real and the fake – overlap.’

DESIGNER OF THE POSTER IMAGES FOR DER ZWERG, DON GIOVANNI AND DENIS & KATYA.

Despite studying photography at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, Tobias Groot (27) claims that he hardly touched a camera during his studies. Instead, his main focus was on 3D art. Tobias: ‘My interest in the technical aspects and the distortion of bodies and the world around me was one of the main reasons for deciding to study photography in the first place. But I didn’t feel that pure camera work was satisfying this particular passion, so I started to look for alternatives and eventually found 3D. This medium allows me to create stories and virtual worlds into which I can incorporate portraits of non-existent people.’

This ability to tell stories and create characters is what attracted Tobias to the poster images that artist Bart Hess designed for Dutch National Ballet. Tobias was immediately enthusiastic when he saw the open call to work alongside Bart Hess designing poster images for DNO productions for the upcoming season. In the images that Tobias designed for Der Zwerg, Don Giovanni and Denis & Katya, he used abstract figures or faces to depict particular facets of the operas: ‘I often use iconic images or holistic figures in my work, so that’s what I did in my designs for the poster images for Dutch National Opera. I thoroughly enjoyed the process, as I was largely given a free hand and felt appreciated for the work that I produced. And I loved working with Bart Hess on the moving images. I’ve been a fan of his work for ages, so it’s great to be in touch with him and be able to combine our voices.’

A huge banner bearing Tobias’ poster image for the season opener Der Zwerg is currently hanging on the front of the Dutch National Opera & Ballet building. ‘I was casually sent photos of the print just hanging there. It was bizarre, but I couldn’t help feeling proud.’

DESIGNER OF THE POSTER IMAGES FOR LA TRAVIATA AND SALOME

Laetitia Roling (33) completed a degree in Image and Media Technology at HKU (University of the Arts Utrecht) three years ago. Although she spent most of her time working with digital programmes, her interests also ranged from stop-motion animation and moving images to various types of film and fine art forms. Her work, including her 3D artwork, now combines this vast array of interests. Laetitia: ‘The danger of 3D is that the medium can soon become dominant, and everything looks the same. You have to develop your own style. I try to do this by drawing inspiration from images from other disciplines, such as fashion and film.’ She laughingly refers to her own artistic style as ‘more is more’. ‘But I’m definitely not a minimalist, in fact, I tend to incorporate several different elements, textures, and details into my designs. Having said this, I also try to achieve harmony in plurality as I don’t want my work to be so hectic that people don’t know which way to look. In the negative sense, of course.’

Laetitia made the poster images for Dutch National Opera for the first opera that she ever saw and for her current favourite: La traviata and Salome. She immediately knew how she wanted the image for La traviata to look, but she tried a whole string of ideas and sketches during the design process for Salome before arriving at a design that she was satisfied with. ‘Although the Salome character is a spoilt princess, I think there’s more to her than that. So I wanted to depict themes like sensuality, power, contradiction, and fragmentation, as well as materialism.’

For both poster designs, she drew inspiration from traditional forms of fine art. The sculpture for La traviata is in the form of a bust, and that of Salome is staged as a still life. Laetitia: ‘My parents introduced me to classical music and lots of traditional art when I was growing up. Family holidays were packed with cultural activities. This made a lasting impression on me.’

DESIGNER OF THE POSTER IMAGES FOR LA TRAVIATA AND SALOME

Laetitia Roling (33) completed a degree in Image and Media Technology at HKU (University of the Arts Utrecht) three years ago. Although she spent most of her time working with digital programmes, her interests also ranged from stop-motion animation and moving images to various types of film and fine art forms. Her work, including her 3D artwork, now combines this vast array of interests. Laetitia: ‘The danger of 3D is that the medium can soon become dominant, and everything looks the same. You have to develop your own style. I try to do this by drawing inspiration from images from other disciplines, such as fashion and film.’ She laughingly refers to her own artistic style as ‘more is more’. ‘But I’m definitely not a minimalist, in fact, I tend to incorporate several different elements, textures, and details into my designs. Having said this, I also try to achieve harmony in plurality as I don’t want my work to be so hectic that people don’t know which way to look. In the negative sense, of course.’

Laetitia made the poster images for Dutch National Opera for the first opera that she ever saw and for her current favourite: La traviata and Salome. She immediately knew how she wanted the image for La traviata to look, but she tried a whole string of ideas and sketches during the design process for Salome before arriving at a design that she was satisfied with. ‘Although the Salome character is a spoilt princess, I think there’s more to her than that. So I wanted to depict themes like sensuality, power, contradiction, and fragmentation, as well as materialism.’

For both poster designs, she drew inspiration from traditional forms of fine art. The sculpture for La traviata is in the form of a bust, and that of Salome is staged as a still life. Laetitia: ‘My parents introduced me to classical music and lots of traditional art when I was growing up. Family holidays were packed with cultural activities. This made a lasting impression on me.’

DESIGNER OF THE POSTER IMAGES FOR DER ZWERG, DON GIOVANNI AND DENIS & KATYA.

Despite studying photography at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, Tobias Groot (27) claims that he hardly touched a camera during his studies. Instead, his main focus was on 3D art. Tobias: ‘My interest in the technical aspects and the distortion of bodies and the world around me was one of the main reasons for deciding to study photography in the first place. But I didn’t feel that pure camera work was satisfying this particular passion, so I started to look for alternatives and eventually found 3D. This medium allows me to create stories and virtual worlds into which I can incorporate portraits of non-existent people.’

This ability to tell stories and create characters is what attracted Tobias to the poster images that artist Bart Hess designed for Dutch National Ballet. Tobias was immediately enthusiastic when he saw the open call to work alongside Bart Hess designing poster images for DNO productions for the upcoming season. In the images that Tobias designed for Der Zwerg, Don Giovanni and Denis & Katya, he used abstract figures or faces to depict particular facets of the operas: ‘I often use iconic images or holistic figures in my work, so that’s what I did in my designs for the poster images for Dutch National Opera. I thoroughly enjoyed the process, as I was largely given a free hand and felt appreciated for the work that I produced. And I loved working with Bart Hess on the moving images. I’ve been a fan of his work for ages, so it’s great to be in touch with him and be able to combine our voices.’

A huge banner bearing Tobias’ poster image for the season opener Der Zwerg is currently hanging on the front of the Dutch National Opera & Ballet building. ‘I was casually sent photos of the print just hanging there. It was bizarre, but I couldn’t help feeling proud.’

DESIGNER OF THE POSTER IMAGES FOR MISSA IN TEMPORE BELLI, LE LACRIME DI EROS AND TOSCA.

Caz Egelie (29) certainly hasn’t sat still since he graduated with a BA in Fine Art and Fine Art and Design in Education from HKU (University of the Arts Utrecht) three years ago. He has compiled several exhibitions, working with installations, video, 3D animations, and live performances, and he’s been working as a teacher and curator. Caz: ‘I’m one of those people who can’t focus on just one thing; I’m happier if I keep trying everything.’

As well as having a broad interest in various fine art forms, Caz also has a penchant for theatre in general and opera in particular: ‘My own work revolves around discovering the essence of theatricality and experimenting with various theatrical elements, such as costume, dance, and actors. I have a huge affinity with opera, as it unifies so many different forms of art. Designing poster images for Dutch National Opera gave me an opportunity to combine my personal interest in opera with my 3D animation skills, and to showcase the results via the DNO platform. It was my dream job.’

The prominent role that theatrical elements play in Caz’s work is clearly reflected in the poster images he designed for the DNO productions, especially the ones designed for Missa in tempore belli, Le lacrime di Eros and Tosca. In these images, he focalizes one character, thereby paying particular attention to remarkable costume elements such as colourful glasses. ‘I like to play with the relationship between real and fake. The process of ‘dressing up’ which an actor goes through before playing a role is connected with this tension, and is symbolized by these costume elements. Moreover, the glasses portrayed on the images are actually worn by the actors who will perform my live performances. In this way, the physic and digital worlds – thus, the real and the fake – overlap.’

DESIGNER OF THE POSTER IMAGES FOR HOW ANANSI FREED THE STORIES OF THE WORLD, DER FREISCHÜTZ AND ANNA BOLENA.

Salim Bayri (29) was born and bred in Casablanca. He describes himself as ‘a visual artist, a person who is generally curious and constantly developing his work.’ After taking a BA in Art and Design at the Escola Massana in Barcelona and an MA in Media Art Design and Technology at the Frank Mohr Institute in Groningen, in 2019, he became a resident artist at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. Designing the poster images for the DNO productions Anansi, Der Freischütz and Anna Bolena was an opportunity for him to expand his experiments with 3D models in virtual space. Salim: ‘I’ve been interested in 3D models for quite some time, and I’ve worked with them before, but I was very excited about the challenge of applying this art form to a specific project that will be presented.’

Salim’s work is characterised by an unpolished quality, ambiguity and mystery: ‘I like an image or object to leave room for the viewer’s interpretation. Everyone should be able to assign their own meaning to a work of art.’ The poster image for Anansi clearly leaves room for interpretation. It shows a cupboard full of objects that will either appeal to viewers or alienate them. ‘Anansi is a very rich production. It is a combination of opera and ballet, the story evolved from a mix of sources in West Africa and Surinam and a lot happens. I needed to depict a range of different components in the image, which made it a complex process but also fun and interesting. Even more so because I worked closely with librettist and dramaturg Maarten van Hinte.’

Salim also worked closely with the artistic staff of DNO when making his designs for the poster images for Der Freischütz and Anna Bolena: ‘They supplied me with input about the productions, I showed them my sketches, and they gave me feedback. It was a ping-pong process, so you could say that the final images came about through conversation.’