Christian Van Minnen’s “Neo Grotesque” Works At Roq La Rue!

From this date, you have exactly two weeks to head on over to Roq La Rue Gallery to check out the exhibit by Seattle’s new transplant, Christian Van Minnen. Aptly titled “Neo Grotesque,” the show flaunts Van Minnen’s “Keyhole” series, which utilize a blend of floral and fauna, akin to the works of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, peeking out from under cut out silhouettes of historically-significant art pieces. Textbook nature illustrations meet sci-fi ideas and dramatic coloring in Van Minnen’s pieces. The piece above might seem elegant and graceful, but don’t be fooled; Van Minnen’s pieces often use abstractions of form and figure to turn simple drawings of plants, roots, and mushrooms into strange-looking beasts and people. Head on over to Roq La Rue to view his crafty pieces while you still can.

www.roqlarue.com
www.seevanminnen.com

 

Written by
Vee Hua 華婷婷

Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and artist who splits their time between Oaxaca, Mexico, and Seattle, Washington. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the Editor-in-Chief of REDEFINE, Interim Editor-in-Chief of International Examiner, and an Environmental Justice reporter at South Seattle Emerald. They also previously served as the Executive Director of the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences.

Their latest short film, Reckless Spirits (2022), is a metaphysical, multi-lingual POC buddy comedy; the feature film version is slated for production in 2026. In 2025, they premiere their documentary short film, Hunt's Trading Post, set just outside of the Navajo and Ute Nations.

In 2017, Vee released the narrative short film, Searching Skies — which touches on Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States — and co-organized The Seventh Art Stand, a national film and civil rights discussion series against Islamophobia.

Vee has two narrative short films. Searching Skies (2017) touches on Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States; with it, they helped co-organize The Seventh Art Stand, a national film and civil rights discussion series against Islamophobia. Reckless Spirits (2022) is a metaphysical, multi-lingual POC buddy comedy for a bleak new era, in anticipation of a feature-length project.

Vee is passionate about cultural space, the environment, and finding ways to covertly and overtly disrupt oppressive structures. They also regularly share observational human stories through their storytelling newsletter, RAMBLIN’ WITH VEE!. They have a Master’s in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the Native American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota and are pursuing a certificate in Incidencias en Problemas Socioambientales at the Universidad del Medio Ambiente in Mexico.

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