Painter

Lisa van Oosten

Lisa van Oosten (1997) is a self-taught artist based in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

"I paint to transmute the feelings of melancholy and numbness that plague me. Painting a world invisible to my eyes but palpable to my soul and spirit allows me, first of all, to escape and find solace, and second, to express what I need to say in a more impactful way than words ever could."

Van Oosten’s paintings explore the complexity of themes such as womanhood, personal transformation, mental health, spirituality, and the natural world. Employing magical realism and surrealism, she creates symbolic spaces where vulnerability, strength, and self-reflection coexist.


Raised in Zutphen, she experienced a childhood marked by tumultuous family dynamics and impactful life events, with creativity serving as a constant factor. Through her work, beauty, resilience, and power emerge from spaces of melancholy and vulnerability, creating a brutally honest portrayal of her inner world. Lisa graduated with honors in Italian Studies in 2021, focusing on sociolinguistics, after a year of study in Bologna, Italy. In 2023, she co-founded Kunstmarkt Noord, a curated monthly art market in Amsterdam. Her work has been exhibited at venues including Unknown Art Gallery, Centraal Museum Utrecht, and What Is Happening Here Gallery.