Biography
Arie Otten (b. 1954, Apeldoorn, Netherlands) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Apeldoorn whose practice spans acrylic on canvas, mixed media on paper, sculpture, and installation. His materially incisive approach integrates found industrial elements, textiles, wood, and aluminum with acrylic paste, ash, and blood powder, generating layered topographies that negotiate between material presence and conceptual depth. Informed by the aesthetic legacies of Abstract Expressionism, art informel, and Cobra, Otten constructs a visual language defined by gestural intensity, textural experimentation, and an acute sensitivity to the ontological charge of materials.
At the core of Otten's artistic inquiry lies his sustained engagement with Carl Jung's notion of the "collective unconscious," articulated through totemic archetypes, mythic figuration, and symbolic structures that occupy the threshold between the intuitive and the primordial. His works often dissolve the traditional division between figure and ground, allowing hybridized forms to surface within chromatic fields of luminous resonance. Through collaborative sculptural projects and his use of unconventional materials, Otten cultivates an eco-symbolic framework that reflects his deep affinities with natural forces, flora, and fauna. This synthesis of material experiment and archetypal inquiry positions his oeuvre as a speculative search for a renewed human subject shaped by shared memory, instinct, and ecological interconnectedness.
Arie Otten's work has been exhibited internationally, including The Warrior Empath (curated by Dorron Britz, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Paris, 2025), Parasitó (curated by Dorron Britz, in collaboration with the Consulate of Mexico in Mumbai, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, 2025), La Rupture du Désir (Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Paris, 2025), the Global Open Studio Visit (Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, 2025), Faces (solo show, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery on Artsy, 2025), and The Power of Blue (curated by Dr. Caterina Corni, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Mumbai, 2024). His works have been exhibited at the NOISE Media Art Fair (represented by Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Vienna, 2024) and Art Miami, 2024 by Jessica Abbey. His practice has been featured in Art on World Magazine, and he received an honorary mention for Patterns of Memory at Vedica Art Studios and Gallery.
CV
Permanent Exhibitions
Veldkamp Thuis, Stationstraat 110, Apeldoorn
Selected Exhibitions
2025 The Warrior Empath, curated by Dorron Britz, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Paris, France
2025 Parasitó, curated by Dorron Britz, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery in collaboration with the Consulate of Mexico in Mumbai, Mumbai, India
2025 La Rupture du Désir, curated by Dorron Britz, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Yellow Cube Gallery, Paris, France
2025 Faces, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Online Exclusive - Artsy
2024 The Power of Blue, curated by Caterina Corni, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Mumbai, India
2023 ArteBo Gallery, Bologna , Italy, Group Exhibition. (ArtOnWorld)
2022 Arte Borgo Gallery, Rome, Italy, Group Exhibition
2022 Arte Borgo Gallery, Salerno, Italy, Group Exhibition
2022 Arte Borgo Gallery, Rome, Italy, Group Exhibition
2022 Gallery PS (Kirsten Keagli Art Consulting), Zurich, Switzerland (Swiss)
2021 Gallery Mia Joosten , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2021 Luxembourg Art Fair, Luxembourg
2020/2019 CODA Museum, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, Group Exhibition
2020/2019 Zo Mooij Gallery, Amsterdam,The Netherlands, Solo Exhibition
2019 Art Studio 28, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, Solo Exhibition
2018 CODA Museum, Apeldoorn,The Netherlands, Group Exhibition
2018 Loolaan Gallery, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
2018 Veldkamp Thuis, Apeldoorn , The Netherlands
2017 Loolaan Gallery, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. Solo Exhibition
2016 Galerie PS 20 , Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
2016 Gallery Frans Houben, Ootmarsum, Solo Exhibition
2015-2022, Tandprothetische Praktijk Van de Heg/ Van Woudenberg BV, Zwolsebinnenweg 5 Apeldoorn
2016, Galerie PS 20, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands
2016, Galerie Frans Houben, Ootmarsum, the Netherlands
2015, Sandmann Opticiens, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands
2014, Gallery Pictura, Gorningen, the Netherlands
Art Fairs
2024 NOISE Media Art Fair, represented by Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Vienna, Austria
Selected Collections
2024, Pablo, in a private collection, Paris, France
2024, Geometric Composition in Yellow and Pink Nr.4/4, in a private collection, New York, USA
2024, Woman with Yellow Bag, in a private collection, New York, USA
2022, Man with Dog, in a private collection, Zurich, CH
2020, Compositions in Red Nr.1, 2, 3, 4, in a private collection, Apeldoorn
2018, African Woman, in a private collection, Vaassen
2018, Two people with animal, in a private collection, Hoogeveen
2018, No Title, in a private collection, Vaassen
2018, Colourful Face, in a private collection, Apeldoorn
2018, Cutting Red Nr. 2, in a private collection, Loosdrecht
Awards
2024 Patterns of Memory (honourable mention), Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Mumbai, India
Selected Press
Siddhant Khattri, "Parasitó: What are we consuming - And what's consuming us?" in e-book by Vedica Art Studios and Gallery at [https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/X92QJMAZYWT6G] consulted in September, 2025.
Ksenia Drobyshevskaya, "La Rupture du Désir" in Art On World Magazine (2025)
Siddhant Khattri, "Studio Visit x Arie Otten" in Artsy Viewing Room consulted in December, 2024.
Joas Nebe, "Parasitó, an exhibition by Vedica Art Studios and Gallery" in Titan Contemporary at [https://www.titancontemporary.net/single-post/parasito-an-exhibition-by-vedica-art-studios-and-gallery] consulted on 20 September, 2025.
Rajul Shah, "In my own words" in e-book Parasitó at [https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/X92QJMAZYWT6G] consulted in September, 2025.