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InspirationArt & Culture

Artist takes vintage photographs and transforms them into threaded collages

Living and working in Groningen, Dutch artist Dorris Vooijs creates collages using vintage photographs she has collected for many years. With a mixture of digital sketches, markers, spray paint, threads, ink and paint – she reconstructs the discovered images.

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Portrait illustration by Dorris Vooijs showing a woman's face with black hair and a dotted texture overlay, combined with soft pink and white brushwork details against a grey background

Speaking about the process behind her pieces, Vooijs said: “I like layering a lot, I like to see what happens when you cross digital stuff and layer that with traditional methods. Building up and peeling pieces away or scratching my way back to the surface, until I feel that it might be time to step back and leave it alone.”

Born in the Netherlands in 1968, Dorris went to the Waldorf School for 12 years, which had a big influence on her childhood. She later attended the Academy of Arts in Arnhem and obtained a BFA in Drawing and Art History in Nijmegen. She now works and lives in Groningen, the Netherlands.

Discover more at www.dorrisvooijs.com.

Via direct submission | All images courtesy of the artist

Collage artwork by Dorris Vooijs featuring two deer with cream faces amongst black inked foliage, layered with paint and thread on vintage photograph
Stylised portrait of a figure wearing large sunglasses and a floral patterned black and white top, holding a small handbag, created with mixed media including thread and paint on vintage photograph
Dorris Vooijs's collage layering a faded vintage portrait with white dotted patterns and a deep red circular bleed effect with dripping line
Three faceless figures sit surrounded by gold geometric flowers beneath a large dahlia drawn in white line work against a black background, in a mixed-media collage by Dorris Vooijs
Minimalist portrait illustration of a figure with pale skin, purple-outlined eyes and pale blonde hair, wearing a black garment with turquoise threading detail at the shoulder
Dorris Vooijs collage featuring four faceless figures with layered vintage photograph elements, digital sketches, thread details and paint marks on a pale background
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