“I have lived all over the world since 1990: Manila, Washington D.C., Prague, Brussels, London, Riyadh and Cairo were considered home for many years.” Caroline Havers tells me, recounting all the places she has lived during her adventure as a diplomat’s wife. This all led up to the summer of 2020, when she moved to Kuwait in the middle of Covid. “Like anywhere else in the world, because of Covid restrictions the beginning of my stay in Kuwait has been pretty unusual to say the least. The time to discover Kuwait just started.” But, that did not stop her from doing what she always does in every city and country she has lived in over the past 30 years. Despite being restricted in movement and unable to discover the country, she kept painting.

Complementary to her husband’s profession as The Ambassador to the Netherlands to Kuwait, Caroline practices her own form of diplomatic “work” wherever the two travel to and call home, as a visual artist. “The only constant in this life is change, this especially rings true in my experience as an artist and a traveler. The longer you work, the more your painterly lexicon grows and will morph into your very own style.

Every foreign country, along with the experiences and unique encounters with local culture and nature, trickles into her artwork. Through painting, Caroline has documented her life with specific shapes, a striking color combinations or the rhythms in nature. In fact, she’s been working on a series for a big solo show in Gallery Naila in Riyadh, which is due to premiere in October of this year. A narrative in shapes from her perspective of the local souks, this show is another facet of Caroline’s longtime dedication to melding her artistic persona with the beauty of each respective culture she encounters while living abroad.

But how did her journey start? And who has she taken along with her brushes, canvases and travels to accompany her on the images and flow of her artistic expression?

Caroline’s favorite things to do since her childhood in The Netherlands were drawing and painting. “I actually knew I really wanted to [be an artist] since the moment I was born” and many in her life encouraged her to continue an education in art, But, she neglected the encouragement she received during her school years to continue pursuing an education in Museology.

During her years of study at the Reinwardt Academie and throughout her professional career, Caroline’s childhood love for the visual arts was unwavering. “I took many courses in painting, drawing, etching, photography and printmaking. In the early 90’s I started working as a freelance illustrator. While living in the United States, I realized that my true creative passion was in the field of painting.” And by the mid-nineties, she dedicated herself to pursuing a career as a full time professional artist.” Caroline’s work has been exhibited internationally since 2003 and can be found in various private and corporate collections worldwide.

Asking Caroline to choose a piece of work she prizes the most is a question that poses as problematic for the artist. “I always like my latest work the best. Until there is a new one.” she laughs. “Every work is a part of a time capsule. I paint with heart and soul. There is a lot of me in every work. So every work is connected to certain memories, a period in my life. That’s my relationship with the artworks. The viewer will hopefully pick up on the energy of the work and will subsequently come up with his or her own story.”

But one work, after much prodding, was named as one that stands out to her significantly. “Maybe it’s the Diptych Dutch Summer,” Caroline admits, placing her painting that depicts summers spent in the country of her youth at the top of the hierarchy of paintings she holds near and dear. “It has moved with us all over the world. It always finds its place on the wall. It never gets boring.”

While Caroline hasn’t had a show yet in Kuwait, she aspires to have one in the future. Her very first show was held in Prague as a solo exhibition in 2003 entitled “Fruits and Flowers”. This was a nod to one of her many artistic influences, fellow Dutchman Vincent Van Gogh. Others include Vincent Van Gogh, Bonnard, Vuillard, Cy Twombly, Joan Mitchell, Wayne Thiebaud and Richard Diebenkorn. “In the course of time and during my career I have studied the work of several artists and they have been instrumental to my becoming the artist who I am today.”

She’s also been playing around with Canada, in the form of a transatlantic collaboration with an artist from British Columbia. “We are working together, producing the same works then shipping the artwork back and forth. It feels like an exciting adventure.”

What else is next for our colorful Caroline? She also has a series of Botanicals in the making and she’s been thinking about the Arabian Gulf a lot. “I like to sit at the edge of the water. I think that capturing the sea is an interesting challenge not only to think and ponder but also to paint about.” Something tells us there’s a series in the making there.

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
What do you most value about your friends?
Honesty and being non-judgemental.
Which living person do you most admire?
Jane Goodall.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Sitting on a beach on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Buying cameras and cowboy boots.
What is your most treasured possession?
A baby picture of me and my sister, Ariane.
What is your greatest fear?
Losing my loved ones.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Creativity and curiosity.
Which talent would you most like to have?
I would love to be a good dancer.
What is one trait you have that you are most grateful for?
Humor and wonder.
What is the human trait you most dislike about others?
Dishonesty and jealousy.
What is it that you most dislike?
Cauliflower and snakes.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Agile and nimble!
What are your favorite words to live by?
The only certainty in life is change.
Where would you most like to live?
With my loved ones and my dogs.
If you could have any job, what would it be?
An artist.
What would you consider your greatest achievement?
Giving birth to and raising my wonderful daughters.
What do you hope for in the future?
Peace and happiness for everyone, and may the truth prevail.

Enjoy Caroline’s art by visiting www. carolinehavers.com and follow her on Instagram @carolinehavers.