On Thursday, October 24, both the installation and festive unveiling of Larissa Esvelt’s artwork took place.
A plump, slightly ‘grumpy’ water nymph seems to have just emerged from beneath the surface. Her head is covered in aquatic plants, and her glossy surface still appears wet from the water.

The young artist Larissa Esvelt (1998, Wageningen) was commissioned to respond to the landscape—and more specifically, to the ever-present water in the neighborhood. The two-meter-tall ceramic water nymph is situated in the canoe pond: one of the defining areas of the district, striking in its length and width. From this spot, you can look from the heart of the neighborhood all the way to the Veluwe massif.

Larissa drew inspiration from historical, classicist fountains and water features, but especially from what lies beneath the surface: the aquatic plants, mussels, fish, and the rich variety of colors in the ever-changing water. To Larissa, the figure is a manifestation of the mysterious, the hidden, and the wondrous—things not only found beneath the surface of the water, but within the neighborhood itself. The glossy glaze in shades of green, blue, and brown was carefully chosen to echo the natural hues of the water. The leaves on her head droop heavily over her body and are playfully stylized. These same plants also grow on the bottom of the pond in real life. Beneath the figure sits a shell—a swan mussel, a species found in Schuytgraaf.

Larissa often works with materials and techniques traditionally seen as feminine, such as textiles and ceramics. She puts a twist on familiar artistic motifs like the female body, which frequently takes center stage in her work—depicted in exaggerated, absurd postures. Her work is both attractive—thanks to its rich, humorous, and imaginative nature—and slightly unsettling. In doing so, she seeks to create space and empathy for the ‘strange’.

Larissa Esvelt lives and works in Arnhem and The Hague. She earned her Bachelor in Fine Arts in 2020 at BEAR ArtEZ, Arnhem. In 2024, she will begin her Master’s in Artistic Research at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague.

About the Art Route
Since early 2021, preparations have been underway for the art route, developed at the request of the Municipality of Arnhem by production house Plaatsmaken. Plaatsmaken appointed Arnhem-based curator Fleur Junier to shape the content of the route.

The Schuytgraaf Art Route will be officially opened on November 8, 2024.

The Schuytgraaf Art Route is supported by the Mondriaan Fund, the BPD Culture Fund, and the Municipality of Arnhem.

Location: At the canoe pond, near the bridge and opposite Kustvaart.

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