Museum Arnhem presents Double Life, the first major solo exhibition in the Netherlands by British artist Sarah Maple (b. 1985). In her work, Maple explores what it means when different sides of her identity intersect: being a Muslim, artist, mother and woman with a South Asian background in a Western society.
The exhibition features paintings, photographs, videos, neon works and collages created between 2007 and today. Through these works, Maple examines how free people truly are to express their cultural identity, religion and gender. As a woman with an Islamic and South Asian background, she questions both cultural and religious conventions, as well as Western ideas about freedom and emancipation. Gender inequality, both in the art world and society at large, is a recurring theme throughout her oeuvre. In her more recent work, she also focuses on motherhood, a role she believes is often undervalued.
Maple combines personal experience with broader social and political issues. Using humour and a bold visual language, she breaks taboos and does not shy away from controversy.
Her art invites audiences to reflect on faith, gender and identity, and on what it means to grow up between cultures and religions. Double Life encourages visitors to engage in conversation, reflect and find recognition. Sarah Maple demonstrates how art can be both deeply personal and political, and how powerful that combination can be.
Accompanying the exhibition is the beautifully designed publication Sarah Maple – Your opinion is wrong, published by KochxBos Publishers.
Sarah Maple: Double Life
Oct 3, 2026 – Apr 4, 2027
Museum Arnhem
Arnhem, The Netherlands
