Roman Shoes

Roman Shoes (2001) by Berend Strik takes as its subject the sandal — ancient footwear that has become an iconic symbol of classical civilization and persists across cultures and centuries.

The Roman sandal connects to themes of walking, travel, and the ancient world — the same world that produced the mosaic and the fresco. This parallel with Strik's own stitching practice — small acts of addition building up to a complete image — is compelling: tesserae in mosaics parallel the individual stitches in his work.

The transformation of everyday objects into subjects of artistic attention connects Strik to the tradition of vanitas painting, where ordinary objects carry symbolic weight about the passage of time and the transience of earthly pleasures.

Sources: Galerie Fons Welters