Lisanne van der Oort

“The Parachute” portrays the story of a war bride who got married to a Canadian soldier during WW2 in a dress made from her husband’s parachute.

“The Battlefield” depicts two wounded soldiers in the battlefield sharing a cigarette as an act of solidarity. It is known that during WW1, soldiers would crawl toward each other so they wouldn’t die alone, even if they were enemies.

“Love Letters” interprets the story of Harry and Jacquie, who were separated by the war and only communicated through handwritten letters for four years. Her letters served as Harry’s motivation to keep fighting during the war, and he strongly believes that they were the reason he was able to survive and return back home to her.

“Intertwined” interprets the story of Jannigje, a Dutch girl who nearly got ran over by a Nazi vehicle as she was riding her bicycle. A soldier who happened to be at the scene coincidentally saved her from the accident and ended up marrying her.

“They’re Watching” interprets story of a girl’s family hiding another family during WW2 in Greece. The son of the family in hiding fell in love with the daughter of the family that took care of them, eventually getting married after the war. They were able to feed both families using the vegetables they grew in their flower garden.

“Rescue Mission”. During WW2, a queer Jew dressed up as a Nazi to free his lover from the camps. Using butterflies and bats as a metaphor, the image is a narrative of trapped butterflied within a cage guarded by bats. One of these bats is really a butterfly that blends in with the bats on its mission to free the others. The two butterfly “lovers” are coloured pink to make an association between them and is also a reference to queer history during WW2.

“The Shower Block” is based on the story of two soldiers in the Iraq war who locked eyes when one of them came out of the shower block. The two fell in love and faced many challenges with their relationship in this environment, but eventually found a way to get married in 2014. The illustration captures the moment in time when they first met and locked eyes, marking the very start of their journey.

“Are You Home?” follows a storyline of a girl running into her home seeking shelter from the war, after which a man comes along and decorates the severely damaged house as a romantic gesture, utilizing the bullet holes by placing roses in them. The main focus is on the resilience of love in spite of disruptive or violent external forces such as wartime.

“Tree of Life” was inspired by a photograph of a couple carving hearts into a tree during the war, the image depicts the same couple in the past and in the present day to reflect the timelessness of love. The mirroring brushwork in the grey smoke and the tree leaves as well as the growth of the tree indicates the progression of time. In this way, the tree in full fall bloom is a metaphor for a lengthy relationship.

“The Calm in The Chaos” is a capstone image depicting a couple whose connection seemingly illuminates light, protecting them from the textured background of violent brushstrokes. The drama that ensues from the chaotic background symbolizes unpredictable and negative outside forces that take place all around the couple; and yet, love conquers all.

Love Conquers All