Nitwits and Skills are from the Humanoids series.
Now on view at Galerie Postpartum in Holwert - The Netherlands until August 31, 2026.
"In the painting Nitwits, Eijkhout subtly refers to the iconic 'soap dresses' by Andy W from the pop art of the 1960s. But where those once stood for the consumer society and the allure of the everyday, something else is happening here.
The two figures look like children but also adults. Aunts who have remained stuck in a childlike role. Their faces are open and closed: naive, almost foolish, but at the same time imperturbably serious.
It is precisely that which makes the work so intriguing. Eijkhout does not depict a heroic human being, but a creature that hovers somewhere between human, doll, and stereotype. Their flat presence, the simple forms, and the almost empty expression evoke an uncomfortable feeling. We recognize something human, but cannot get a grip on it.
They seem to know nothing. The figures become almost archetypes of human naivety: endearing, comical, and slightly unsettling at the same time.
Their stupidity is not an insult, but a state"
Galerie Postpartum Holwert, Lonneke Veenstra