‘it´s through art, and art only,
that we can shield ourselves
from the sordid perils of actual existence’

- Oscar Wilde

As an artist, and certainly as a person, Paula Kouwenhoven is always looking for the philosopher´s stone and growth. Preciously she developed an inner discipline. As with Buddhism she tries to understand life correctly and to place reality in a primordial context. There are several levels inside the cosmos of Kouwenhoven. It´s a cycle of all possible spheres.

The art of Paula Kouwenhoven tells something about who she is, what she does and how she lives her life. Through her art we see remarkable signs of feminity, nature and earth. Everything will come together: both the symbol of the Roman goddess Venus, which is used to indicate the female sex, as the constellation Libra, which is associated with the element air and is traditionally ruled by the same goddess Venus. The round shapes of the signs can also be recognized in the triangles and arrows as symbols of strength and willpower. Behold the female and male, two polarities that we also may recognize in birth-rebirth, growth-arrrest, open and closed forms, passive and active energy, sensuality-spirituality. Characteristic of the style of Kouwenhoven are colors, depth, balance, composition.
Although feeling a kinship with the serene beauty of artists such as Rothko and Horiki, she has completely developed her own style. A style that can´t be devided in a certain art movement. Nor in a particular school. No, Kouwenhoven has created her own circle around her. A group of colleague-friends, a circle of like-minded people. Over the years this circle has been formed on the spot where in 1999 she got off the ground her dream world: World Art Delft. A place where beauty can be created and presented during art symposiums, exhibitions, education projects and landscape projects.
Not just art, culture, nature and architecture will come here together, but also artists, nature- and art lovers and friends. It is a place where Kouwenhoven not only as a cultural entrepreneur, but also as an artist has space and peace to paint. And when she paints, everything will merge into that one passion.
Only through art, and art only, Paula Kouwenhoven is able to give form to actual life. It becomes her idealistic life.

Unfortunately, Paula passed away on May 1st 2022 after an illness of 1,5 years she died of pancreatic cancer.