It is extremely hard to describe the effect of Mariëlle Soons’ paintings in words: the language of the image replaces that of the word. Yet her work is not merely pictorial. On the contrary: with great profundity, immediacy and vehemence, it penetrates the viewer’s mind, and is even capable of having a fundamental impact. The powerful presence of her work, whether in a large or small format, points to a meaning that transcends the pictorial.