What began as a search for the language of the landscape gradually became, through dwelling mounds, molehills, and senses other than sight, an exploration of the mole. What does my desire to be a human underground, a mole above ground, and a mole-human in a fleeting in-between realm mean? My external quest transformed into an inner descent, in which the mole within me is digging and I find myself inside its network of tunnels. Although the tunnels are endless, the time has come to bring my search above ground and share it with the world.

Ietje Meerman (1999) is an independent visual artist. In 2023, she graduated from BEAR (Base for Experiment, Art & Research) Fine Art at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem, and since 2024 she has been living and working in Groningen. Within her artistic practice, she explores the relationship between animals, humans, and the landscape. She does so by visualising and telling narratives that emerge from the tension between (factual) observations, memories, and make-believe. She develops these poetic stories across various media, including text, drawings, video works, and performances. Through these stories, Ietje seeks to question and reconsider our relationship with non-human animals and the more-than-human environment.

Recently, as part of the Artist-in-Space programme by De Noordenaars, she worked at Grasland in Ezinge on her project Graaf Mol. She has previously undertaken residencies at LekArt (Culemborg), ArToll Kunstlabor (Bedburg-Hau, Germany), and Cittadellarte (Biella, Italy). Her work has been exhibited at Plaatsmaken (Arnhem) and De Nieuwe Gang (Beuningen).