Three pioneers in figurative painting, three solo exhibitions, one raw, colourful and magical dialogue.

They refuse to be categorised and have been innovators in figurative painting for years: Keetje Mans, Tanja Ritterbex and Aline Thomassen. From February onwards, their worlds will come together in the Bitches Brew project. Each will present their own solo exhibition, but their works also interact with each other. On the one hand, through their styles and themes. On the other hand, through the conversations they had during the project.

Floating between feeling and reality

The styles of Mans, Ritterbex and Thomassen are different, but the form they choose is the same: figurative painting. Their works depict recognisable themes without being realistically accurate. Keetje Mans creates outdoor scenes and domestic environments where strange things happen, Aline Thomassen paints female bodies that merge with organs and shapes from nature, and Tanja Ritterbex's work blends everyday chaos and humour. Each artist transforms reality in their own way to show what they feel. Their work thus becomes an extension of who they are.

Completely being yourself in your work

In the large amount of work that the artists have created, you can see how they explore different topics. A lot of their work comes from their feelings, lives, and personalities. Even before they can explain what they are painting, what they feel is already on the canvas. This makes their works raw, honest and intimate. What do they dream or worry about? Who do they encounter, and what impressions do people leave behind? How do they deal with expectations? Based on their own experiences or those of someone close to them, they explore the answers to these and other questions about life.

Robin de Puy, Portret of Keetje Mans for Bitches Brew, 2025. © Bonnefanten

Keetje Mans (Amsterdam, 1979)
Shimmer of Bliss

In Shimmer of Bliss, Mans searches for a small, bright moment that feels like a leap into the unknown while painting. Her work brings together the real world and fantasy. Her canvases are filled with soft colours, alienating outdoor scenes, groups of people and recognisable domestic situations. At first glance, her worlds seem light and dreamy, but at the same time dark, eccentric and rebellious. Each brushstroke invites you to look beyond the surface and takes you by the hand into her fantasy world.

Tanja Ritterbex (Heerlen, 1985)
Mama Steht Kopf

Ritterbex creates extravagant, cheerful, and moving work about the time before and during motherhood, about being a woman, and how others perceive her. The title of Ritterbex's solo exhibition can be loosely translated as “Mum is on her head”. She expresses this with fierce brushstrokes and colourful scenes, often portraying herself as confident. However, if you look closer, you'll discover a deeper layer that is full of vulnerability. In her work, Ritterbex plays with old rules and ideas about motherhood, which makes for humour and self-reflection.

Robin de Puy, Portret of Tanja Ritterbex for Bitches Brew, 2025. © Bonnefanten

Robin de Puy, Portret of Aline Thomassen voor for Bitches Brew, 2025. © Bonnefanten

Aline Thomassen (Maastricht, 1964)
I am You- You are Me

Aline Thomassen paints bigger-than-life-size, emotional female bodies. These are inspired by the feelings and experiences of the artist herself and the people around her. They often merge with organs and shapes from nature. In this way, Thomassen shows how feelings, memories and physical experiences work. She paints women who are not guided by rules or ideals, but who decide for themselves who they want to be.

Award-winning and collected

In addition to the figurative painting that connects them, all three have won major art prizes. These include the Hermine van Bers Visual Arts Prize and the Royal Prize for Free Painting (Keetje Mans and Tanja Ritterbex), the Jeanne Oosting Prize and the Ouborg Prize (Aline Thomassen). Their work has also been exhibited and purchased by important museums such as Museum More (Gorssel), Kunstmuseum Den Haag and Stedelijk Museum Schiedam.

Raw, colourful and brave

Bonnefanten has been following the three artists for a long time. Between 2012 and 2019, they all presented their work at the museum. Several of their works have also been included in the collection. This presentation brings their worlds together for the first time, making Bitches Brew a raw, colourful and magical project. What can you expect? A museum wing filled with art that gives space to emotion and reality, chaos and beauty.