Two words come to mind when you think of Marjolein: Courageous and Creative!

Courageous, because she is the first artist I know who chose to establish her gallery, Maste 4, at 2600 metres in the Swiss Alps, in Saas-Fee. And worked in her studio there for 10 years!

Creative, because she has evolved from her early days in The Netherlands as an illustrator and graphic designer to an ardent painter of mountains and even more.

Entering her gallery, in dead winter, stomping over a few layers of dense snow, a clearing made for the entrance, one is struck both by the enormity of the gallery space and the cosiness of her studio. Marjolein explains that the upstairs exhibition area serves as both a space for visiting artists to work in - and then display their exhibits for sale. Creative indeed - and generous, offering visiting artists an extraordinary location to work in - an experience they will never forget.

Her spacious studio is a design statement in itself. Overlooking the steep slopes, soaked in the Saas-Fee sun, impeccably organised. The beauty and colour of the paints, the brushes, the canvasses, stays with me to this day.

Never staying still, Marjolein moved on to finally give up the mountain location and establish herself in the village of Saas-Fee. Not a newcomer, she was one of the many who had fallen in love with this precious village in their earliest visits - for her, in 1997. She gradually installed herself, for a start as a ski instructor  - no easy feat on the challenging slopes. Till she took adventure a step further to open her gallery in the mountains. This is when she fell in love with the mountains and started her series of mountain paintings, reflecting the colours of the different times of day, of different locations, of differing heights.

Much appreciated and sought out, her paintings now hang in many of the iconic Saas-Fee hotels and establishments.

Never staying still, Marjolein then moved on to Berne, where she now lives - in her words “to be closer to culture and the centre of Switzerland”.  She travelled to Paris, New York and Spain for new inspiration and was most affected by the work of Dali and Magritte - which caused her to turn to surrealism. One of her earliest passions.  An interesting fact is that she reflects herself in every painting - like Hitchcock in his movies!  As Marjolein describes it - “Looking back, and to the future”.

So explore the mystery in her works in her exhibition in Zermatt, from 22 December 2023 to 15 April 2024.

Marjolein, your friends from Saas-Fee and beyond are all rooting for you!

Renu Chahil-Graf

14 December 2023