Born in Bogota, Colombia, Raquel van Haver now lives and works in Amsterdam South-East (Zuid-Oost). Opening small windows into scenes of frivolity and family, she resists the notion of voyeurism, curating authentic access into other worlds and spaces. Her art candidly portrays her intimate circle at their most honest – with familiar faces appearing in the comfort of their own homes, local haunts and beloved spots. In their personal anchoring to place and time, van Haver’s paintings delve into an exploration of global connectivity where migration, cultural history and the ritualistic quality of day-to-day life underpins the unity of human existence.

Working mainly on burlap with non-traditional materials sourced from her travels to West Africa and South America, van Haver’s work explores identity, spirituality and urbanism while drawing from a myriad of personal encounters within the diasporic community. Often monumental in scale, her self-described 'loud paintings' inspire intensely immersive experiences that continue to negotiate the postcolonial discourse around alienation and acceptance.