Book Presentation
The book “Terug naar Bullenbaai” (“Back to Bullenbaai”) is about the childhood memories of a daughter of Shell employees, born on Curaçao. The family lived on the island until early 1962 when they were transferred to Pakistan. In this book, Jeanette Turpijn tells about her beautiful memories: the turquoise sea and brightly colored fish, birds and flowers, the wind that always blows and the colored houses in the city. It is also about the negative consequences of the arrival of Shell: the bad smoke that always spreads over the same neighborhoods, damage to the population’s health, the asphalt lake, segregation of the community, the privileged position of seconded employees over local employees.
“What do you say when they ask where you’re from?” is a question that children who grew up on the island and expat children in general ask each other. The book “Terug naar Bullenbaai” is the author’s answer to that question.
Exhibition
As a child, Jeanette Turpijn was not allowed to go to art school. She is therefore a sociology grad. She made up for missing out on art at a later age by still completing her art education. In her art, she can lose her homesickness for her native island Curaçao.
Jeanette’s paintings have been shown at Gallery Alma Blou for years. Mostly depictions of Curaçao in acrylic on acid-free paper. This exhibition is supplemental to the book presentation.
Gallery Alma Blou welcomes you on Friday, February 7 from 7:30 to 9 PM.
The exhibition can be viewed until February 15, 2020.
