Nationale feestrok of bevrijdingsrok samengesteld uit talloze lapjes stof, geborduurd met '19 Dec. 1935', '16 April 1945', 'Henriët van Gulik' en voorzien van de stempel 'Nationale Feestrok..., 1947' c. 1940 - 1945

This skirt, or 'Nationale feestrok', is made from countless little patches of fabric stitched together. It's an incredible, intimate thing. I love trying to imagine how it came into being, shifting and emerging through trial, error, and a whole lot of care. I sympathize with the artist, E.H. van Gulik-van Lennep. I can almost feel what it might have been like to create, what they might have been thinking when they made it. You can see the material aspects of the skirt, like the texture and colour. The surface of the skirt shapes our experience and contributes to the emotional and intellectual resonances of the work. I'm drawn to the patches embroidered with '19 Dec. 1935' and '16 April 1945'. These small gestures communicate so much feeling and intention. Artists are in an ongoing conversation, inspiring one another’s creativity across time. This skirt is a form of expression that embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.