Opening What Holds - May 30
New exhibition
Root Gallery is pleased to invite you to the opening of What Holds, featuring works by Jan Theun van Rees, Madelon Uljee and Sophie de Vos.
This exhibition brings together works that each attempt to hold onto something inherently unstable - a moment, a form, a space. Some works fix what would otherwise pass, others enlarge what might go unnoticed, or construct a reality that exists only briefly. Together, they draw attention to what is often overlooked or difficult to grasp.
The presentation moves between photography and leather wall sculptures, creating a dialogue between what is captured and what is built.
Alongside the exhibition, the second edition of Invitation presents Francisca Snel, with new work in handblown glass and copper.
We look forward to welcoming you on Saturday 30 May, from 15:00 to 18:00. After the opening, the exhibition can be visited on Fridays and Saturdays from 13:00 to 17:00, and by appointment.
The exhibition remains on view until 11 July 2026.
A selection of works on view
By Madelon Uljee
120 × 100 × 10 cm
Leather, steel
Unique
Madelon Uljee creates sculptural works in leather, where material, tension and form come together in a precise, physical composition. This work reads almost like a stretched skin: shaped by hand, with a surface that shifts between smooth and structured, catching light in a restrained way. Subtle steel elements punctuate the form, adding rhythm and weight. At 120 x 100 cm, it holds a strong presence without overwhelming the space — a work that asks for a considered placement and rewards close attention.
Delivery in the Netherlands and Belgium is complimentary, carefully arranged in consultation, either in person or securely shipped. We’re happy to advise on placement and presentation.
By Madelon Uljee
75 × 75 cm
Leather, steel
Unique
Madelon Uljee creates sculptural works in leather, exploring the relationship between material, form and natural structures. Soft pink tones and subtle variations in texture give this work a more intimate, tactile quality. The organic form suggests a natural structure without directly referencing it, allowing the piece to remain open and intuitive. Its scale and colour make it approachable, while the material keeps it grounded and distinct.
Delivery in the Netherlands and Belgium is complimentary, carefully arranged in consultation, either in person or securely shipped. We’re happy to advise on placement and presentation.
By Madelon Uljee
75 x 67 x 5 cm
Leather, steel
Unique
In Leaf Bubbles, Madelon Uljee works with lambskin as a sculptural surface, shaping it into a relief that references organic structures without directly imitating them. The central vein suggests a leaf-like form, while the raised elements create a rhythmic pattern across the surface, introducing tension between control and spontaneity.
The material remains visibly responsive: stretched, pressed and formed by hand, allowing subtle irregularities to emerge. These shifts in surface and structure give the work a tactile quality that changes with light and viewing angle.
Uljee’s work is rooted in the relationship between material and form. In this piece, leather functions not as a covering, but as a spatial medium, bridging sculpture and wall-based installation, with a strong affinity to architectural environments.
Delivery in the Netherlands and Belgium is complimentary, carefully arranged in consultation, either in person or securely shipped. We’re happy to advise on placement and presentation.
By Jan Theun van Rees
122 × 91,5 cm, ed. 3, 2026
Pigment ink on acid free Innova Soft Textured Bright White - frame, raw nutwood with spacers and Museumglass (UV70)
Also available in 60 × 45 cm, ed 5, 2026
This work is part of the series Painted Room
Licht Omloop is part of Jan Theun van Rees' ongoing series Painted Room. Through a process of constructing, observing and continuously repositioning elements in relation to changing daylight, the artist creates photographs in which colour and space remain in constant flux.
In Licht Omloop, warm orange tones are balanced by areas of aqua blue and subtle touche of purple. The image hovers between abstraction and architecture, suggesting depth and movement without revealing the temporary set from which it emerged. Rather than depicting an existing space, the work presents a carefully constructed situation in which light, perspective and colour come together in a single moment.
Shipping within the Netherlands and Belgium is on us.
By Jan Theun van Rees
90 × 90 cm, ed. 3, 2026
Pigment ink on bright white Photorag mounted on museum board, framed with spacer and UV70 museum glass
Also available in 45 × 45 cm, ed 5, 2026
This work is part of the series Painted Room
Zeldzaam Groen is part of Jan Theun van Rees' ongoing series Painted Room. Working with temporary constructions, shifting daylight and carefully positioned elements, the artist creates photographs in which colour, space and perspective remain in constant flux.
In this work, a soft green surface and subtle spatial cues create an image that moves between abstraction and architecture. The final composition is not predetermined but emerges through observation, adjustment and photography. What appears to be a simple image reveals itself as a carefully balanced construction, resulting in a photograph that invites a slower way of looking.
Shipping within the Netherlands and Belgium is on us.
By Jan Theun van Rees
122 × 91,5 cm, ed. 3, 2026
Pigment ink on bright white Photorag mounted on museum board, framed with spacer and UV70 museum glass
This work is part of the series Painted Room
This photograph is part of the ongoing Painted Room series by Jan Theun van Rees, in which temporary architectural spaces are constructed using painted strips of textile. Through the careful interplay of light, colour, material, and perspective, the artist creates compositions that exist only for a brief moment before being transformed into photographic works.
Natural daylight plays a central role in the process. As the light changes throughout the day, shadows shift across the installation, creating visual relationships that are unique to a specific place and moment in time. The installation is continuously adjusted in response to these changing conditions, while the camera position evolves alongside the work.
Rather than documenting a fixed scene, the photograph captures a temporary spatial construction in constant transition. Light, space, material, and viewpoint influence one another throughout the process, resulting in an image whose final outcome remains uncertain until the photographs are reviewed afterwards.
Van Rees' work explores the relationship between photography, architecture, abstraction, and perception. By transforming simple materials into immersive spatial compositions, he challenges the viewer's understanding of depth, scale, and reality.
Shipping within the Netherlands and Belgium is on us.
By Sophie de Vos
70 × 50 cm, ed. 1/3, 2026
Hahnemuhle, framed in black, museumglass
From the series Fragments of Clarity
The word ‘reflecting’ carries dual meanings; it can refer to an actual reflection - seeing an image mirrored in a glossy surface like glass - or it can describe the process of deep, thoughtful contemplation.
The photographic series ‘Fragments of Clarity’ by Sophie de Vos explores this duality, moving between the literal and metaphorical aspects of reflection. In most works, Sophie uses glass as a physical and conceptual layer over her subjects, creating subtle distortions that question how we perceive the world. When we look at something, are we truly seeing it as it is, or through the lens of our own experiences, memories, and emotions?
In the work ‘What Lingers After’, this approach shifts. Instead of glass, Sophie uses a photographic intervention, where movement and time become the material of distortion. Here, perception is not refracted by a physical surface, but shaped by duration and what remains after the moment has passed.
Shipping within the Netherlands and Belgium is on us.
By Sophie de Vos
70 × 50 cm, ed. 1/3, 2026
Hahnemuhle, framed in black, museumglass
From the series Fragments of Clarity
The word ‘reflecting’ carries dual meanings; it can refer to an actual reflection - seeing an image mirrored in a glossy surface like glass - or it can describe the process of deep, thoughtful contemplation.
This photographic series by Sophie de Vos intertwines both interpretations, exploring the intersection between the literal and metaphorical aspects of reflection. In this series, Sophie incorporates glass as a physical and conceptual layer over her subjects, manipulating its positioning to create dynamic visual distortions. By alternating and playing with these layers, she raises profound questions about perception: When we look at something, are we truly seeing it as it is, or are we viewing it through the complex prism of our own experiences, biases, and emotions? Sophie challenges the viewer to consider the nature of clarity itself, suggesting that true understanding may be filtered and refracted by the lenses through which we observe the world.
Through this blending of visual and philosophical reflection, the series becomes not just a study of surfaces and subjects, but a deeper inquiry into the limits of perception and understanding.
Shipping within the Netherlands and Belgium is on us.
By Jan Theun van Rees
122 × 91,5 cm, ed. 3, 2026
Pigment ink on bright white Photorag mounted on museum board, framed with spacer and UV70 museum glass
This work is part of the series Painted Room
In Painted Room, Jan Theun van Rees constructs a temporary, immersive space using layered materials and painted surfaces, brought together through carefully controlled light. Soft textiles in shifting tones of blue, pink and grey create a spatial composition that feels both architectural and atmospheric. The interplay between shadow and colour blurs the line between physical structure and illusion, inviting the viewer to question depth, perspective and material reality.
This work is part of Van Rees’ ongoing exploration of spatial perception in contemporary photography, where constructed environments become the subject. Through subtle variations in light and surface, Painted Room offers a quiet, contemplative image that evolves with prolonged viewing.
Shipping within the Netherlands and Belgium is on us.
By Madelon Uljee
60 × 60 × 5 cm
Leather, steel
Unique
Madelon Uljee creates sculptural works in leather, exploring the relationship between material, form and repetition. In this work, folded elements build up into a dense, almost architectural surface. The deep burgundy colour enhances the sense of depth and shadow, while the handmade structure keeps the piece tactile and organic. Depending on the angle and light, the work shifts between softness and sharpness, appearing both controlled and instinctive at the same time.
Delivery in the Netherlands and Belgium is complimentary, carefully arranged in consultation, either in person or securely shipped. We’re happy to advise on placement and presentation.