Echo's in the Soul by Bianca ter Riet

This work exudes a sense of repetition that goes deeper than mere form; it seems to be a visual translation of what is happening within. The three almost identical figures stand side by side as reflections of one and the same inner world. Their closed eyes and serene facial expressions suggest a state of introspection, as if they are not looking outwards, but listening inwards — to something that repeats itself, whispers and resonates.

The repetition of the image reinforces the idea of echoes: thoughts, feelings and memories that keep resurfacing, each time with a slight shift in meaning or intensity. Although the figures are visually very similar, each presence feels like a different layer of the same soul — past, present and perhaps even future — coexisting in a silent dialogue.

The hat, adorned with stones and a soft feather, once again functions as a symbolic element: a repository of impressions and experiences. In this multiple composition, however, it takes on an extra dimension, as if each version of the figure carries its own interpretation of what lies there. The circle around the eye emphasises inner vision — seeing without looking — and, through repetition, becomes a powerful rhythmic element.

The background and the clothing visually merge into one another, blurring the boundary between the individual and their surroundings. This reinforces the idea that the soul does not stand alone, but is constantly influenced by its context, by what surrounds it and by what continues to echo within it.

“Echoes in the Soul” invites reflection: how much of what we feel is truly new, and how much is a repetition of something that has moved through us before? The work shows that this repetition holds no limitation, but rather a deepening — an ever-richer resonance of who we are.