About Merly

Walk through Merly's work and one presence dominates: women. Large, proud, dark-skinned women painted not as stereotypes, but as symbols of strength, dignity, and cultural richness.

​

"I paint women the way I know them and admire them. They are sturdy, warm, full of life. Just like my island."

 

This is also deeply personal — Merly has spoken openly about her constant fight to be respected, treated equally, and taken seriously as a woman, as an artist, and as a Latin American voice on a Dutch Caribbean island. Her paintings of strong, self-assured women are a reflection of that journey.

​

Her figures carry a quiet symbolism that rewards the attentive eye. All dark-skinned women in her work have blue or green eyes — a deliberate statement about the extraordinary cultural diversity of Curaçao, where many nationalities and traditions have lived side by side for centuries.

​

Her style defies a single label. Some works are dreamlike, with soft almost floating contours in the tradition of sfumato. Others burst with sharp yellows, oranges, and blues that make you feel the heat of the Curaçaoan sun on your skin. Her subjects range from a brièchi seller on a street corner to intimate portraits and nudes — but always with deep human layering beneath the surface.

​

"Volume means abundance, love, and joy. With my paintings I want to expose my island to the world for what it is — a place of celebration, beautiful architecture, color, and optimism."​

​

For over a decade, Merly maintained a gallery at Sambil Shopping Mall in Willemstad. Her atelier is at 76 Frederikstraat, Willemstad, Curaçao — open to visitors who want to experience her work up close.

​

​