About

emmah. is the creative practice of Rotterdam-based artist Emma Hoogstede (1996).

Emma has been painting since childhood. Her curiosity about how things are made eventually led her to study Product Design at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem. This background continues to shape her work through a strong interest in colour, materials and the creative possibilities that arise from working within clear boundaries.

Over the past two years, travelling and discovering new places have become an increasingly important source of inspiration. As more of Emma’s professional work shifted into the digital world, so grew her need to create something tangible by hand. Painting naturally came to the foreground again.

The current series began during a camper journey through the south of France and the Basque Country in northern Spain at the end of 2025. Along the way, Emma photographed landscapes and views that caught her attention, later translating them into small acrylic paintings. Since then, the series has continued to grow with places encountered both abroad and closer to home.

Together, the paintings form an ever-evolving visual travel journal. Each original work preserves a place, impression or memory, perhaps reminding someone of a landscape they recognise, a journey they once made or a place they hold dear.