An introduction

With her background of constructional engineer (Technical University of Delft), Bouman has worked for years as a professor at Delft University and the Agricultural University of Wageningen. In addition, she was also engaged in architectural projects for private homes. She has been a member of the Commission of Fine Arts Ede as an artist and architect for many years. Currently she is a member of PEK [Platform Edese Artists], the Dutch Department of Ceramists (NVK) and is active in the Atelierroute Lunteren. Already during her studies in Delft, she was fascinated by free art and attended optional subjects such as hand drawing, art history of art and sculpture (with prof. Wenckebach).

When more free time became available around 1980 Bouman attended a number of different courses throughout Europe. Of special importance were the courses at the Trier academy Europaische Akademie für Bildende Kunst. In France she followed a course in Hebrew calligraphy by Frank Lalou, with her background of a good command of the Hebrew language. She has always been inspired by the Old Testament and made calligraphies of the Song of Songs and the books of Ruth and Jonah. She is also drawn to the texts of Sappho and Vasalis.

Bouman frequently worked in France and participated in exhibitions and became a member of Arts Science Lettres in Paris, where she received an award for her work. Her two dimensional work began with watercolours, the subjects mostly being architecture with some bizarre additions. Following this period, she wanted to break away from this technique and these subjects. She became aware of a kind of love-hate relationship with architecture. Consequently, she chose other subjects, still-lives, the human figure and other techniques such as etching, acrylic and mixed media. More recently also touching computer-techniques.

At the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Dutch Tile Museum in Otterlo in the municipality of Ede in 2001, she was offered the honour of participating large tile tableau project. As a result, she became fascinated by the possibilities of ceramics and tiles. But Bouman’s personal interpretation of tiles is different and refreshing; they are spacious, hand-made and decorated. Following soon entire spatial constructions began to emerge, decorated with symbols, letters, and characters from both contemporary, historic and prehistoric times. In these structures finally her architectural training again became evident, and thereby the love-hate relationship became stabilized.