May 14-17 2010 Collect 2010 (represented by Galerie Rob Koudijs), Saatchy Gallery, London, U.K. www.craftscouncil.org.uk/collect/

May 29  2010-Jan 9 2011 Jewellery Circus/Smykkesirkus - Felieke van der Leest soloexhibition, West Norway Museum of Decorative Art, Bergen, Norway, www.bergenartmuseum.no

June 11-13 2010 EUNIQUE - arts & crafts 2010, Messe Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany, http://www.eu-nique.eu/

July 8-11 2010 Sofa Santa Fe, Santa Fe Convention Centre, Santa Fe, U.S.A., http://www.sofaexpo.com/santa-fe/2009/index.htm

August 7-September 5 2010 Finger Symbols, Bonhoga Gallery, Weisdale, Shetland Islands, U.K., www.shetlandarts.org

September 19-October 31 2010 The 10th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition, Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, U.S.A., www.cwu.edu/~art/gallery.html

October 9-November 14 2010 Textiles Extrmes of Scale, Bonhoga Gallery, Weisdale, Shetland Islands
U.K., www.shetlandarts.org

Animals have a special place in Felieke van der Leest's heart. She provides many animals with a busy social life as ornaments, gives a select group a nice home in museums and she placed a few oversized specimens in the center of everyone's attention in meeting rooms and stairwells. Jewellery, object or light fixture, the scale or function is not the aspect that inspires Van der Leest: the telling of unusual stories is always her main motivation.

Van der Leest has enriched jewellery design with the introduction of textile techniques. Combining this with gold, silver and plastic, in ten years time she developed her own idiom. She drew from her childhood in Emmen where she would visit the local zoo and also from her metalsmith education in Schoonhoven. Her unbridled imagination later came to full bloom at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. For someone who normally works with hand sized pieces it is remarkable to develop monumental installations. Nevertheless, Van der Leest has already produced some 'jewels' for public spaces, cooperating with her cousin in Neef Nicht Design.

A continuous flow of her work now finds its way to numerous exhibitions. In addition, it is happily collected by individuals and museums through the galleries that represent her in Amsterdam, New York and Tokyo. A great milestone was the 2006 exhibition Jewellery Fables: the museum in Middlesbrough (mima) exhibited an overview of all her work and also published an accompanying catalog.

Apart from the obvious fun her work sometimes showes an unexpected serious side. Contemporary issues such as the environment, dealing with animals and all kinds of social problems are touched upon. In this way Van der Leest, like Jean de La Fontaine in his famous fables, shows us the other side of the coin. But her most important quality continues to be her unstoppable enthusiasm for making new pieces and the joy they give us, the spectators.

Ward Schrijver 

Felieke van der Leest, 1968, Emmen, the Netherlands

Education:
1991-1996 Academy “Gerrit Rietveld“, Jewelry Department, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1986 -1991 Technical School for Gold- and Silversmithing, Schoonhoven, the Netherlands

Collections:
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, U.S.A | Alice and Louis Koch Collection, Switzerland | DSM Art Collection, Heerlen, the Netherlands | Dutch Textile Museum, Tilburg, the Netherlands | Frog Museum, The Hague, the Netherlands | Hiko Mizuno Collection, Tokyo, Japan | International Museum of Applied Arts, Torino, Italy | Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art MIMA, Middlesbrough, U.K. | Museum of Modern Art, Arnhem, the Netherlands | Museum “Het Kruithuis”, Den Bosch, the Netherlands | Museum of Decorative Arts, Montreal, Canada | Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, U.K. | CODA Museum, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands | Royal College of Art Visiting Artists Collection, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, U.K. | Zeeuws Museum, Middelburg, the Netherlands

Solo Exhibitions:
2010 F.I.B.S. (Festival International des Bêtes Sportives), CAJ Gallery, Kyoto, Japan
2009 F.I.B.S. (Festival International des Bêtes Sportives), gallery Deux Poissons, Tokyo, Japan (Solo) | Harbour Front Centre, It’s a Beastly World after all, Toronto, Canada
2008 Galerie Rob Koudijs, F.I.B.S. (Festival International des Bêtes Sportives), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2007 Contemporary Art Jarfo, Animalia, Kyoto, Japan | Gallery Deux Poissons, Animalia, Tokyo, Japan
2006 Gallery Louise Smit, Art Amsterdam, the Netherlands | MIMA Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, Animal Fables, Dorman Museum, Middlesbrough, England
2005 Dutch Textile Museum, Ostriches in Love, the wonderful jewellery of Felieke van der Leest, Tilburg, the Netherlands | DSM Art Corner, Heerlen, the Netherlands
2004 Charon Kransen Arts, Animal Party, presentation at SOFA Chicago, USA | Gallery Deux Poissons, Animal Party, Tokyo, Japan
2003 Gallery Gallery Louise Smit, Animal Party , Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2000 Gallery Louise Smit, Maritimities, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1997 Gallery Louise Smit, Solo Exhibition, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Group Exhibitions (a selection):
2010 OP VOORRAAD, Oude Kerksplein 30 Amsterdam The Netherlands | Internationale Handwersmesse Munich Germany Schmuck 2010 Germany | A Nadie le Amarga un Dulce..., Dulcería de Celaya, Mexico City, Mexico | Sieren met Dieren, CODA Museum Apeldoorn Netherlands
2009 Juleutstilling, Kvam Kunstlag, gamlebanken Norheimsund Norway | Artistic Toys, Gallery Handwerk Munich Germany | Utstillingen09 - Kunsthåndverk, Nasjonal Museet for Kunst, Arkitektur og Design Olso Norway | Gallery Rob Koudijs, Collect, Saatchi Gallery, London, U.K. | Gallery Craft2eu, Showtime, Hamburg, Germany | CODA Museum Apeldoorn Netherlands De Aard van het Beest - dieren als spiegel van de ziel | Gallery Craft2eu Hamburg Germany Social Snap group | Santa Fe Convention Center Santa Fe U.S.A. SOFA Santa Fe (Reprented by Charon Kransen Arts) | Saatchi Gallery London U.K. Collect (represented by Galerie Rob Koudijs) | Gallery Rob Koudijs, Object - International Fair for Autonomous Design, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
2008 Kath Libbert Jewellery, Now & Then - Antique Meets Contemporary, Salts Mill Saltaire, U.K. | Villa de Bondt, Dutch Architectural Influences and Jewellery, Gent, Belgium | CODA Museum, New Traditional Jewelry "Symbols of Faith, Apeldoorn, Netherlands | Studio GR.20, Contemporary Jewellery, Dutch Masters, Padova, Italy | Gallery Rob Koudijs, Collect, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England | Design Museum, Challenging the Châtelaine, Gent, Belgium | WCC-BF, Triennale Européenne du Bijou Contemporain 2008, Mons, Belgium
2007 Contemporary Jewellery from mima's Collection Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (mima), Middlesbrough, England | Animals Gallery Platina, Stockholm, Sweden | Challenging the Châtelaine! Estonian Applied Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia | Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre, Thread of Silk, Manchester, England | Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery, Traditional Skills, New Thinking: Knitting and Stitching
of the 21st Century, Suffolk, England | Jewellery exhibition, Veluws Museum "Nairac" Barneveld, Netherlands | New horizons Gallery Rob Koudijs, Amsterdam, Netherlands | Animals, Gallery Beatrice Lang, Bern, Switzerland | Object Rotterdam, Las Palmas, Kop van Zuid Rotterdam, Netherlands | Schmuck 2007, Oratorio San Rocco, Padua, Italy | Beads Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
2006 Collect, Louise Smit Gallery, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England | SOFA New York & Chicago, Charon Kransen Arts, U.S.A. | Challenging the Châtelaine, Design Museum, Helsinki, Finland
2005 Proximity, The Sensory and Displacement, Wayne State University, Detroit, U.S.A. | Maker, Wearer, Viewer, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, Scotland | Collect, Louise Smit Gallery, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England | De Rebus Naturae, Arti Orafe Art Gallery, Florence, Italy
2004 Designers Present 2004, Design Platform, Eindhoven, the Netherlands | Yellow Metallic, Stedelijk Museum CS, Amsterdam, the Netherlands | Collect, Lesley Craze Gallery, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, U.K.| Int. Contemporary Art + Design Fair, Charon Kransen Arts, West Palm Beach, U.S.A. | Legnica Festival of Silver 2004, Gallery Sztuki, Legnica, Poland
2003 Jewelry, Hard & Soft, Plastic/Fiber/Glass, Society of Arts & Crafts, Boston, U.S.A | Inner Luxury, International Contemporary Jewellery, CaixaForum, Barcelona, Spain | Valuables, Jewelry of the new Millennium, Museum of Craft & Folk Art, San Francisco, U.S.A. | Micromegas, Oratorio di San Rocco, Micromegas, Padova, Italy | Chess, Ruthin Craft Centre, Chess, Denbighshire, Wales
2002 Display, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, the Netherlands | Schmuck 2002, International Trade Fair Münich, Germany | Campio – Masterpieces, Palazzo Bricherasio, WCC Europe, Turin, Italy | Lepels/Spoons, Gallery Ra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands | Without polishing no lustre, Central Museum, Utrecht, the Netherlands
2001 Material Immaterial, Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, U.K. | Ornaments from there, Ornaments from here, Incidences, Coincidences?, Museum of Applied Arts, Winterthur, Switzerland
2000 Wearable Sculpture, Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts, Montreal, Canada | Slipstich, Dutch Textile Museum, Tilburg, the Netherlands | On the Skin, Museum of Modern Art, Arnhem, the Netherlands
1999 Schmuck ’99, International Trade Fair Münich, Germany | 1999 Mind Seductions, Estonian Applied Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
1998 From Saint Severus to Spermheart, Dutch Textile Museum, the Netherlands | Jewellery Moves, Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, U.K.

Grants & Nominations:
2008 Profielprijs 2008, Stichting Profiel, the Netherlands | The Price of the French Community Walonia-Brussels 2008, Belgium
2007 New Traditional Jewellery, nominated, the Netherlands
2006 Dutch Design Awards 2006, selected, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
2001 Rotterdam Design Prize 2001, nominated, the Netherlands | Basic Stipend, The Netherlands Foundation for Fine Arts, Design and Architecture.
2000 NPS Culture Prize 2000, nominated, the Netherlands
1999 Starter Stipend, The Netherlands Foundation for Fine Arts, Design and Architecture
1997 Starter Stipend, The Netherlands Foundation for Fine Arts, Design and Architecture

A selection:
2010 Schmuck 2010, Munich, Germany (catalogue) | 1 Magazine, nr. 87 December 2009, Bulgaria
2009 500 Plastic Jewelry Designs, Lark Books, U.S.A. | Utstillingen09, Norske Kunsthåndverkere, Norway (catalogue)
2008 European Triennial of Contemporary Jewellery 2008, Belgium (catalogue) | 500 Pendants & Lockets, Lark Books, U.S.A. | Adorn, New Jewellery, Amanda Mansell, U.K | Arte. Mensile di Arte, Cultura, Informazione, Decembre 2008, Italy | Textile Forum, 1/2008 March, Germany | Vision, Febr/March 2008, China
2007 Design Addict, nr 1, Japan | Present, Percentage for Art in the Netherlands 2004-2006, the Netherlands | Thread of Silk, Manchester, England (catalogue) | GZ art + design, nr 4, Dec 2007, Germany | DESIGN creative/design/branding, December & January 2007/2008, Taiwan | Schmuck 2007, Munich, Germany (catalogue) | Contemparary Jewelry, Takahiko Mizuno, Japan | 500 Earrings, Lark Books, U.S.A.
2006 Challenging the Châtelaine!, Designmuseo, Helsinki, Finland (catalogue) | Dutch Design Awards 2006, the Netherlands (catalogue) | 500 Necklaces, Lark Books, U.S.A. | New Directions in Jewellery II, Black Dog Publishing, England | Sieradenfabels – Animal fables, monograph, mima, England
2005 Maker, Wearer, Viewer, catalogue, Glasgow, Scotland | 500 Brooches, Lark Books, U.S.A. | Metalsmith “Exhibition in Print 2005”, volume 25 number 4, U.S.A.
2004 1000 Rings, Lark Books, U.S.A.| Metalsmith, volume 24 number 1, U.S.A. | Fiberarts, March/April, U.S.A.| Jucca, Spring/Summer, Japan
2003 Crafts, No181, U.K. | GZ, art + design, nr 2, Germany | Art Jewelry Today, Dona Meilach, U.S.A | Valuables, Jewelry of the new Millennium, No 2 , U.S.A. | Luxe Interior, joieria contemporania internacional, catalogue, Spain | Beesten Feest/Animal Party, catalogue, the Netherlands | KunstBeeld, September, the Netherlands | Dutch Design van de 20ste eeuw, Toon Lauwen, the Netherlands
2002 Schmuck 2002, catalogue, München, Germany | Dutch Diversity, catalogue, London, U.K. | Masterpieces/Capolavori, catalogue Torino, Italy | Lepels/Spoons, catalogue, the Netherlands
2001 Parures d’ailleurs, parures d’ici, incidences, coincïdences, catalogue and CD-ROM, Switzerland | Micromegas, catalogue, Germany | Onedel/Non Precious, the Netherlands| Display, catalogue, the Netherlands
2000 Slipstich, new concepts of knitting, catalogue, the Netherlands |Maritimiteiten, catalogue, the Netherlands | Virtual Gallery of Contemporary Jewellery CD-ROM, U.K. | On the Skin, catalogue, the Netherlands
1999 Schmuck ’99, catalogue, Germany | Mind Seductions, catalogue, Estonia
1998 Jewellery Moves, catalogue, Scotland

Gallery Rob Koudijs
Elandsgracht 12
1016 TV Amsterdam
The Netherlands 
info@galerierobkoudijs.nl
www.galerierobkoudijs.nl


Charon Kransen Arts
817 West End Avenue, suite 11C
NY 10025
U.S.A.
Charon@charonkransenarts.com
www.charonkransenarts.com


Gallery Deux Poissons
2-3-6 B1F
Ebisu, Shabuya-ku
Tokyo 150-0013
Japan
info@deuxpoissons.com
www.deuxpoissons.com