“I paint the female form as something that no longer needs permission to take up space.”
Sterre Haenbeukers
I am Sterre Haenbeukers, artist and founder of Tove Lué Art Studio, based in Haarlem, the Netherlands.
Painting gives me a sense of freedom. It is a space where I do not have to explain or control everything, and where I can leave a part of myself behind.
My relationship with my body and with myself has not always come naturally. There was a time when I did not feel fully safe, connected or at home within my own body. Art helped me begin to see it differently, not through perfection or judgement, but through strength, softness and acceptance.
This is where my fascination with the female form began. In my paintings, the body is recognisable, yet never fully defined. Abstract lines, colours and shapes merge with figurative elements. I am drawn to the power of suggestion: you can clearly recognise a woman, while the work still leaves space for your own interpretation and meaning.
I mainly work with acrylic paint, building each painting layer by layer. Subtle reliefs and flowing movements give the surface depth without becoming overwhelming. Through its layers, textures and details, each artwork changes with the light and continues to reveal something new.
Through Tove Lué, I want to create art that does more than enrich an interior. I want each piece to express beauty in its many forms, feminine strength and the freedom to fully embrace who you are.
Alongside my own collections, I also create commissioned artworks in my signature style.
Whether you feel drawn to an existing piece or would like to discuss a personalised artwork, please get in touch through the contact form.
Follow my work here…
The Story Behind Tove Lué
Tove Lué is more than just the name of my art studio. It reflects the contrasts that also appear in my work: strength and softness, allowing yourself to be seen without having to reveal everything.
‘‘Tove’’ is a Scandinavian name with roots in Old Norse. The name is connected to Thor and to the word fríðr, meaning “beautiful” or “beloved.” To me, Tove therefore represents both beauty and strength.
‘‘Lué’’ has no fixed literal meaning with this spelling, but it is reminiscent of the French word lueur: a soft glow, a glimmer of light or a small sign of hope. To me, Lué symbolizes the light that can begin to grow from within when you learn to look at yourself with greater kindness.
Together, ‘‘Tove Lué’’ represents beauty that does not have to be perfect, strength that does not have to be hard and the light that appears when you no longer make yourself smaller.
This meaning is reflected in my art, in which feminine forms and abstraction come together. My work is not about one specific body or image, but about strength, softness, freedom and the courage to take up space.
Tove Lué is therefore more than a name or a collection of paintings. It is the world I want to create through my art studio: a place where art is not only something to look at, but something that can touch you, stir something within you and bring something to light.