"We will find a way"
Daisy Boman’s Sculpture Selected for New Line Ship
Belgian artist Daisy Boman’s work We will find a way was selected for Holland America Line’s newest signature-class ship Nieuw Amsterdam, which will be launched on July 4th. Daisy Boman studied interior design and photography at the Academy of Fine Art in Antwerp, and then proceeded to experiment with ceramics. Her work depicts a collective goal, evoking a sense of belonging, a united community, or destiny. Sometimes dozens of her ‘Bo-men’ characters strive, climb and struggle for the same goal. In contrast, a lone ceramic figure or pair of figures are distanced by white space; powerfully communicating emotions of the need for human trust or togetherness.
Boman whimsically draws the spectator into a subtle humoristic view of his or her own life story, but as if in a tense piece of cinema, she builds tension so that you soon discover how philosophically serious the story is. Her seemingly humorous little men characterize a much deeper significance and worth. Their rich subtext provides a unique commentary on how we handle life’s personal challenges, disputes and hurdles.
Boman lived in South Africa in the early 1980s and her astounding talent won her praise, recognition and a pre-eminent place at national exhibitions. But Boman was deeply troubled by the racial discrimination and segregation that was the product of Apartheid and after returning home to Belgium in 1986 her inner turmoil gave birth to the ‘Bo-men’.