Hella de Jonge – Closer to Their Souls
On view through 07 February 2027
From 18 September 2026 to 7 February 2027, the Dutch Resistance Museum presents the exhibition Hella de Jonge – Closer to Their Souls. This exhibition features paintings by Dutch artist Hella de Jonge, in which personal history and collective memory intertwine. Through her work, De Jonge examines the enduring effects of war and family history, giving a voice to those who are absent or silenced. Her art is intimate yet universal, connecting and comforting.
The childhood of Hella de Jonge (1949) is characterized by creativity. She dances, plays the violin and studies art at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. When her fellow students harshly criticize one of her first works, she switches her focus to jewelry-making and fashion. After graduating she starts as a sculptor. As of 1980 she creates the theatre sets and costumes for her true love, the well-known Dutch comedian and musician Freek de Jonge.
Family history
In 2020, during Covid, De Jonge decides to take up painting again. It turns into an exploration of her family history. Through her paintings she gets to know family members she has never met. Her Jewish parents go into hiding and survive The Second World War, while almost their entire family is murdered. Nobody ever mentions it at home. The atmosphere is emotionless, and her upbringing is strict. Little Hella has the urge to live, to dance, to be carefree. They clash. The relationship with her parents is troublesome till the end.
Resisting Injustice
Hella de Jonge stands up against injustice wherever she encounters it. Her resistance takes shape in paintings, books, and documentaries. For instance, she champions gender equality in healthcare, highlighting the medical world’s neglect of the unique aspects of women’s hearts. In her works depicting refugees and the oppression of women, she seeks to celebrate the strength of women.
In this day and age, war seems to come nearer every day, De Jonge’s paintings are an inspiration. “I feel powerless, thinking of all the innocent victims and their families. What will become of all these damaged people? How are they going to raise their children?”
In her paintings Hella de Jonge expresses the loss of security and innocence, illustrating the pain she feels when seeing injustice and violence.
