Double Dutch

12”x12”

Originally drawn on paper, this piece was later transformed to a digital drawing and animation and printed on photo paper.

Lucy Wijnands is a multidisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Lucy grew up in an environment where liberation and celebration of the individual was the norm. Her mother is an art historian, and her father is a master stride pianist. Lucy is the culmination of the two.  As a COVID “jazz studies grad,” Lucy stepped out of college life and into the absolute stillness of the pandemic. What was once a debilitating hurdle for anyone trying to build a career as an artist became a crucible of creativity, ultimately resulting in tons of painting.

A core belief of Lucy’s is that art is the process of being lost and found all at once. Her works usually begin as simple, quick expressions, often inspired by music, and the result of the piece doesn’t become clear until she is already immersed in it. Most of Lucy’s works are widely kinetic, playful and reflective of her innate need to express herself. When Lucy isn’t on stage, she is painting and gaining technical insight from her mother and grandmother. Lucy has shown her art at local jazz clubs, coffee shops and Art Basel in Miami.

“The History of Double Dutch” was inspired by the traditional street game played by young African American girls in New York City. References of the Brooklyn deli cat, Spike Lee and hip hop culture in 1980s New York are combined with ancient Egyptians who are believed to have invented the sport of “skipping rope” by jumping over vines. In this game of Double Dutch, the past and the present unite in a moment of whimsy.