Sasja Hagens

Sasja Hagens (born 1973, Utrecht) lives and works in Rotterdam. She graduated in 1996 from the Royal School of Arts in The Hague, specializing in Drawing & Painting. Sasja has been working as an artist for 25 years, creating colorful paintings ranging from intimate works to large, wall-sized monumental pieces. She also creates sculptures.

Her family has a maritime background, with three generations of marine officers, based in Paramaribo, Suriname. Sasja chose to become an artist, and her maritime roots, love for the sea, and thirst for adventure continue to be her main sources of inspiration.

Her work has been widely exhibited, including a major solo exhibition at Duolun (MOMA) in Shanghai and several group shows such as Habitare in Helsinki, Oblast Art Museum in Kemerovo (Russia), Museu Maritim in Barcelona, Museum Boijmans in Rotterdam, and Gallery Neuberg Arts in Hong Kong. Her paintings are part of collections at the Rotterdam Maritime Museum, City Hall Rotterdam, ECT Rotterdam, Arcadis, Deloitte, Damen Shipyards (The Netherlands), European Sea Ports Organisation in Brussels, Belgium, and Kunsthalle Trier in Germany.


Artist Statement

Harbour is about life
Ships are vessels for our desire
And we desire adventure.
And as we are sailing away
looking for opportunities,
we might suffer loss,
we might experience joy,
We learn.
A ship as a metaphor for vigor desire and life.


www.sasjahagens.nl