​Originally from Suriname, raised in the Netherlands, and now based in New York City, Veldkamp seamlessly weaves cultural and visual elements from each place he has called home into a dreamlike world that transcends spatial and temporal boundaries. Infused with a personal mix of cultural signifiers, the exhibition reflects on themes of history, belonging, colonialism, and urban landscapes.

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Through shape shifting pseudo self-portraits, and psychological metaphors such as mirrors, windows, and shadows, Miko Veldkamp creates portals into different cultural spheres. His careful consideration of how elements are divided and connected within the picture plane creates a balance between studied complexity and playful lightness. Parts of his paintings are intentionally left unrendered, allowing a glimpse into the process of building-up of the paint and conveying

a sense of time passing. Veldkamp paints directly onto the canvas without preliminary studies or drawings, allowing the work to unfold spontaneously for the viewer. Light washes of colour are applied in layers, with elements fading in and out, creating shifting degrees of legibility, as memory, imagination, the past, and the future fluidly interchange.

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Despite their idyllic appearance, Veldkamp's works are a personal quest to unpack the complex colonial relations between North and South, East, and West. His psycho-cultural dreamscape blend memories from the artist’s past and present homes with influences from Western art history and Javanese-Surinamese ghost stories. Through this deeply personal lens, Veldkamp attempts to decolonize psychology, subverts entrenched stereotypes and concepts of authenticity, and

addresses the constant negotiations between one’s identity and the feeling of belonging. The title of the exhibition, Buketan, embodies this concept by encapsulating a rich cultural narrative rooted in the heritage of Javanese tradition. Etymologically traced to the French term 'bouquet', it signifies a distinct motif frequently encountered in batik textiles, where European floral elements are intricately intertwined with indigenous tropical flora native to Indonesia. This synthesis

of Western and local aesthetics persists as a symbol of cultural significance, not only within Indonesia but also among diasporic Javanese communities, notably in Suriname.

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Furthermore, the artist reflects on Buketan as a symbol of counter-narrative to the "Indo archetype" present in Dutch culture and literature—where Indo individuals, of mixed Dutch and Indonesian descent, often grapple with being “inbetween,” never fully belonging to one place or identity. Rather than embodying this sense of displacement, Buketan, in Veldkamp’s work, symbolizes the possibility of belonging to multiple places at once. It reframes identity as something fluid and multifaceted, reflecting the artist’s exploration of the complexities of belonging beyond cultural binaries. Thus, abstracted motifs reminiscent of Buketan frequently appear throughout Veldkamp’s work, serving as a testament to the interconnectedness of cultural identities that define his artistic practice. This mirrors the deeper struggle of reconciling personal and collective histories, ultimately framing the artist’s practice as a process of overcoming struggles of belonging—not through exclusion, but through embracing multiplicity and hybridity.

 

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