Welcome :)
My name is Emma Brands, and I’m a self-taught contemporary painter based in Amsterdam.

How it all began
I started painting in 2019 while living in Barcelona. Unexpectedly, it felt as if something new wanted to move through me, and painting became the way to give it space. As I devoted more time to painting, my work as a chef and food stylist slowed down. It wasn’t automatic—I had to consciously balance both—but it soon became clear that this was the path I needed to follow.

The world I paint
My paintings feel like memories—not of specific events, but of images that seem to exist elsewhere and keep reappearing in my work. I often start with photography, but I paint from what I feel and see inside, letting the images take on a life of their own. A fictional world emerges—new and invented, yet strangely familiar, as if I have known it before. The sense of recognition invites me to wander deeper into its layers, discovering more with each painting.

Each painting offers a different viewpoint on humans, animals, and nature. My style adapts to the perspective I explore, so that even when the theme remains the same, every piece carries its own life and resonance.

As an autodidact, my studio is a space of experimentation and discovery. I am drawn to the uncertainty of process, and to the possibility of an image being both question and response.

Materials and technique

In the beginning I mostly painted on paper and wood. Over time, the technical side of painting has also become part of the exploration. I enjoy moving between materials—sometimes experimenting with collage, sometimes working with acrylic on canvas, and occasionally painting murals.

If you have questions about my work, materials, or available paintings, feel free to send me an email.