Soulmates. Jelle Kampen and Lucy Sarneel

When Jelle Kampen (1956-2022) began his career as a visual artist in the 1980s, he went against the tide by wanting to produce mainly what he called ‘clear’ pictures. He found his inspiration not only in art-historical icons but also in branding and commercial logos. He was also very interested in music and literature, and his curious, exploratory mind led him to incorporate social issues into his art. Jelle Kampen was married to the visual artist and jeweller Lucy Sarneel (1961-2020), whose wide-ranging oeuvre is represented in the CODA collection. The work of Jelle Kampen became part of the CODA collection after his death. Soulmates not only portrays Kampen’s versatility but also emphasises that despite their strictly separate artistic practices Lucy Sarneel and Jelle Kampen were kindred spirits – soulmates – whose work belongs in the CODA collection.