Arjan van Helmond

The Madagascar periwinkle, Chinese ginseng, St. John’s wort, foxglove, the yew tree… Arjan van Helmond had no idea how many plants and trees are used in cancer treatment when he started researching medicinal herbs for a work commissioned by the Netherlands Cancer Institute. The work will be installed in the Institute’s recently built pharmacy. It consists of fifteen ceramic circular wall pieces – discs – depicting different plants, and four large colourful tapestries of landscape gardens featuring yew trees pruned into sculptures or a labyrinth. During his EKWC residency, Van Helmond made the discs, meant to connect the tapestries across different floors. They are slightly convex, making the leaves and flowers appear to protrude from the wall. The effect is enhanced by the painterly use of glazes that combines a lively surface with graphic clarity reminiscent of O’Keeffe and Van Gogh. Apparently, almond extract also has anti-cancer properties.