10 Questions with Vierdamme - Marleen Vandamme & Dennis Vieren
Vierdamme is the artistic duo of Marleen Vandamme and Dennis Vieren, a portmanteau that embodies the fusion of their distinct creative voices, exploring the depths of identity, emotion, and connection.
While each of them has a history of creating art, their shared creative journey truly began to take shape during the transformative stillness of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fragmented beginnings found their voice as they layered their thoughts onto shared canvases, each contributing until the works revealed their full expression.
Since that moment, they have never worked alone - every piece has emerged through their collaboration. Their art is an ongoing dialogue, constantly evolving between abstraction and figuration, drawing the viewer into the spaces where intuition, emotion, and vision intersect. Vierdamme wants to show the world that art doesn't have to be a one (wo)man's show. Marleen Vandamme and Dennis Vieren form an artistic duo, whose name, as a portmanteau, embodies the fusion of their unique creative voices, exploring the depths of identity, emotion, and connection. In the end, we believe that recognition doesn't define what is or isn't art. It's not art because it's a Picasso—it's art because Picasso made art. Art exists in the act of creation, not in the name attached to it.
Vierdamme - Marleen Vandamme & Dennis Vieren - Portrait
ARTIST STATEMENT
Vierdamme’s work is deeply personal, reflecting an ongoing artistic conversation between two distinct yet harmonized perspectives. Their creations blend intuition and structure, capturing a sense of movement and transformation. Through layered textures and expressive compositions, they invite viewers to engage with the fluidity of emotions and relationships.
Whispers Between, Acrylic on canvas, 100x150 cm, 2025 © Vierdamme
INTERVIEW
Let's start from the beginning. How did your individual artistic paths lead you to form Vierdamme during the pandemic?
We've both been creating for over 20 years, but our work was always individual. For a long time, we never imagined working on the same painting together. Around 2020, something shifted. It wasn't solitude or silence that brought us to the canvas, it was stress. The pandemic wasn't easy for us. It challenged us in many ways, especially as we tried to keep our business alive. When we found the time and the energy, painting became an emotional outlet for both of us. We didn't see ourselves as artists back then, and to be honest, we're still hesitant to call ourselves that. We were simply creating and expressing ourselves in a way that seemed meaningful to us.
What was it like the first time you shared a canvas? Did the collaboration come naturally?
Our first painting came about by coincidence. Dennis asked if he could try something on a canvas Marleen had set aside. It was an experiment. Marleen wasn't happy with the piece and said, "Go ahead, it's ruined anyway." Dennis made a few changes. Then Marleen painted over those. And then Dennis responded again. Back and forth. It didn't matter, it was ruined anyway. Instead, something started to happen. This wasn't planned or structured, but it felt natural and a bit exciting. We weren't sure where it would go, but we figured: what's the worst that can happen? And it didn't go wrong—or at least, we don't think it did.
Blue Embrace, Acrylic on canvas, 100 x 150 cm, 2025 © Vierdamme
Blue Thoughts, Acrylic on canvas, 100 x 150 cm, 2025 © Vierdamme
How do you balance two distinct creative voices when working on a single piece?
It's definitely different to work together on one canvas, but to us, it works surprisingly well. People often laugh at the idea of them painting together with their partner, thinking it would turn into a fight or something. As a couple, we can relate to that, of course, but in our paintings, our differences actually strengthen each other. We try to trust each other and not look over each other's shoulders. "Go ahead—it's as much your work as it is mine." That's the attitude we want to pursue. We also try not to overthink things. Maybe it's a lot like being in a band—experimenting, reacting to each other, just jamming until something new emerges. Just try something and go from there.
Can you describe your creative process when starting a new work together?
A new work usually begins with a conversation. What story do we want to tell? Sometimes we've just seen something that triggered a feeling we want to translate into a painting. Or we've shared a strong emotion and feel the need to express it visually. From there, we explore how to bring that feeling to life: which colours capture it best? What shapes, contrasts, or tensions can reflect it? Our paintings often feature bold black or white lines—sometimes strong and assertive, sometimes fine and subtle to guide the viewer's focus. Once the first marks are on the canvas, we let the painting evolve organically, layer by layer. Each of us adds to what the other has left behind. It's not always pretty, but that doesn't matter. The layers between us create more than just visual depth—they mirror life itself. When a piece nears completion, we write texts or stories directly into the painting. These words reflect how the shapes, colours, and forms embody the emotion we want to convey. Usually in English, and often partially hidden or painted over, they're meant to be felt more than read. The words tie everything together—colour, shape, and feeling—and help the story come alive.
Branching Out, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 120 cm, 2025 © Vierdamme
Your art moves between abstraction and figuration. How do you decide where a piece will land?
We both love abstraction because it leaves so much room for interpretation. But we also value humanity, which is why our work blends abstraction with figuration. The figures are there, but not too literal. What matters is their connection—to each other and to the world around them.
Like many artists, we don't always know how or when a piece will land. Until it does. Suddenly, it's just clear. Neither of us wants to touch it anymore. The painting speaks the right words and emotions to us—and hopefully, also to the viewer.
What emotions or ideas do you find yourselves most often exploring through your collaboration?
Relationships, for sure. How people relate to one another, to society, to themselves. The easy parts, the hard parts, the joy and the pain. We try to capture all of that without judgment—just observation and emotion. That's why there are usually two figures in a piece, or at least one. There is always a human presence.
We want our work to feel beautiful and positive—even when it touches on difficult topics. There's already enough misery in the world, isn't there? We might depict the struggle of living with memories of past trauma, but we'd make it about how people support each other through that experience. That's the kind of conversation we want to create.
Of course, we also make paintings about love and happiness, generations, connections, and togetherness. We try to be positive, you know.
Dance of Life, Acrylic on canvas, 120 x 120 cm, 2025 © Vierdamme
In my Mind, Acrylic on canvas, 120 x 120 cm, 2025 © Vierdamme
How has working together changed the way each of you approaches art individually?
When we're working together in the studio, we find ourselves in a kind of harmonic flow—and we just let it happen. But when we visit exhibitions, we're still in harmony, but it's different. Most of the time, we like the same pieces, but since everyone experiences different things, we're no exception to that. We think and feel differently about the work we see—and that's perfectly fine. That's also what we do in our work together. We both add our personal views to the same story.
What message do you hope viewers take away from experiencing a Vierdamme piece?
Maybe we want what every artist hopes for: to connect. Not just to say something to them but to spark conversation between viewers. How are they experiencing life as part of a complex society? How are they experiencing these emotions together?
The Moon, Acrylic on canvas, 80 x 100 cm, 2025 © Vierdamme
You have several upcoming exhibitions in Europe. Is there a particular show you're especially excited about?
We're proud of all of them in some way, but a few stand out. The Décor exhibition, for example, because we believe art can be decorative. It doesn't have to be, but when it can be, why not? Art can be beautiful, and positivity matters. We're also proud of our selection to be on display in MEAM in Barcelona—the Museu Europeu d'Art Modern— a recognition we received as a second prize in an art competition. That kind of recognition feels both encouraging and humbling.
Lastly, looking ahead, how do you see Vierdamme evolving over the next few years
We hope to continue just as we are—evolving together, enjoying the process, and reaching more people with our work. We still have so much to say. Of course, everything we see and experience will influence us, and we welcome that. But we don't plan to drastically change direction. We've found a creative rhythm that works well for us—and hopefully for our audience, too. Above all, it should stay fun and challenging. We also really enjoy moments like this—interviews, and conversations about art, shapes, colours, and emotions. We could talk about that forever, and we probably will.
Artist’s Talk
Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.
