Winning artwork of 450 Art Competition on display at the KOG
During LAWLANDS, the winning design of the 450 Art Competition was unveiled. The artwork by student Jill Stoelinga was chosen as the winner and is now on display at the KOG.
To mark our faculty’s 450th anniversary, staff and students were invited to design their own drawing or painting for an artwork at the KOG. Out of all the entries, the design by Law student Jill Stoelinga was chosen to grace the wall of the KOG’s A-corridor on the ground floor. It is now on display – you can find the painting opposite the study associations’ offices and next to the café.
In the weeks leading up to LAWLANDS, many staff members and students contributed to the creation of the painting by helping to fill it in using the ‘painting by numbers’ technique. All materials needed for the painting were sponsored by our partner Van Kruistum Vastgoed.
Due to the selected cookie settings, we cannot show this video here.
Watch the video on the original website orCan you tell us a bit about your design?
There are various elements, each representing a certain aspect of the faculty. For example, there’s the Leiden keys, a characteristic windmill and the stork of The Hague – all symbols that emphasise our faculty’s links with both Leiden and The Hague. A piggy bank with falling money and Lady Justice represent the economics and law programmes taught at the faculty. The university and 450 logo are also included to highlight the special anniversary of both the university and Leiden Law School. In the background, you can see the Kamerlingh Onnes Building. All these elements are connected by sticky notes, which symbolise a detective wall and the Criminology programme. In this way, I’ve tried to bring together all the features of the faculty in my design.
Did you have a specific message in mind?
In the painting you can see rainbows. These not only add a bit of colour, they also symbolise inclusivity and acceptance. The university and faculty do pay attention to these themes, but I think a bit more can be done. It’s important to show that everyone can be themselves here and are accepted.
Why did you decide to take part in the competition?
Being creative is one of my hobbies. I love to paint, draw and create designs. For instance, I'm currently creating designs for T-shirts. When I saw the call for the painting competition a few months ago, I started straight away.
I sent in my design thinking, ‘we’ll just see what happens’. I really hadn’t expected to win at all. When I heard the news, I called my mum and her partner straight away. They’d been a huge help in improving my design and I wanted to share my good news with them.
Van Kruistum
The canvas and painting materials to produce Jill’s artwork were sponsored by Van Kruistum Vastgoedzorg. ‘We’re delighted to be a part of this’, says Kirsten van Kruistum who owns the building maintenance business. ‘Whether you’re studying at a university or a painter, both worlds come together beautifully to produce this artistic image.’
