Life never sweet like a Chocolate vanilla

The fresh air, sunlight, and surrounding sounds awaken your senses, making food taste even better. At this little stall, chicken drumettes are grilled — the perfect street snack, with greasy fingers guaranteed!

The chickens are pecking at leftovers around the food stall. Shouldn’t they be making a run for it?

Raquel van Haver paints with thick blobs of paint. Take a closer look — you might spot something unexpected. Her homemade paint contains sand, wood chips, plastic beads, cigarette butts, bottle caps, fake hair, and even a condom.

Raquel van Haver doesn’t stick to standard canvas sizes or shapes — she creates her own. When was the last time you coloured outside the lines?

Some say Raquel van Haver’s artworks are loud, like they’re shouting at you. You simply can’t ignore them.

Many of the figures in Raquel van Haver’s paintings are inspired by people she’s met — during her travels or right in her neighbourhood. She portrays street life without romanticising it.

Raquel van Haver was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and grew up in Amstelveen. She draws inspiration from Caribbean, African, and Latin American cultures — and from her experiences in Amsterdam’s Bijlmer neighbourhood.

In 2018, King Willem-Alexander awarded Raquel van Haver the Royal Award for Modern Painting — one of the most prestigious art prizes in the Netherlands.