Vanden Eynde
Material Matters, ongoing since 2018
7 x 96 x 126 cm, acrylic and linen canvas

Material Matters is a series of paintings, each representing a chemical element from the periodic table of Mendeleyev – the universally utilised table of chemical elements. The images painted on canvases stretched between wooden rods are reminiscent of didactic wall charts for schools from the predigital age. Each element is visualised by several drawings, pictograms and symbols, together they form a kind of rebus that tells the story of its origin, its use and impact, but also the ecological damage caused by the mining industry and chemical processing of these materials. It is knowledge that is often lacking when we surround ourselves with all kinds of consumer goods, and which might lead us to make different decisions.