I thought this was a new artist for me – but I was wrong (I know, imagine that).  I already had a Pinterest board for her work – but it is now jam packed with new images of the wonderful clay figures created by Mieke van den Hoogen.

Not all of her creations are fat.  A goodly number are average sized, and while they are fun too, I am a fan of her fat figures (again, imagine that). 

I especially like the groups of women who have become one figure. Some appear (to me) to be singing, one pair looks like they are shopping buddies.  Anyone who has a group of women friends – or just one woman friend – can relate to how you become one entity when you are singing, shopping or just hanging with your women friends.  That’s what I feel her lumps of women represent – that feeling of a group of women who become one with each other. 

She has several styles of art – each quite different from the other.  Some are whimsical, others poignant and beautiful, 

From her website (http://mvandenhoogen.nl/index.html)

I prefer round shapes, mainly with “the woman” as the theme. … I try to show the characteristics of women, their possibilities and impossibilities, but also their moods, shapes and attitudes in my work.

Here are some examples of Mieke van den Hoogen’s work (and you can see more at https://www.pinterest.com/terriweitze/fat-art-mieke-van-den-hoogen/)