ABOUT

BIOGRAPHY

I am a contemporary ceramic artist, originally from the Netherlands.

Creativity is one of my life’s key elements; as a child I was surrounded by an abundance of paper, pencils and paint that enabled me to explore ways of expression. When I was introduced to clay in the beginning of my artistic endeavour, its capability for boundless expression fascinated me and was unmatched by any other material I previously worked with. What followed was an ongoing journey of exploration and research that fuels my every-growing passion for ceramics.

I work full time as an independent artist from my studio in Luxembourg.

 
© Edwin de Kemp fotografie

© Edwin de Kemp fotografie

 
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MISSION STATEMENT

Nature forms the main driving source for my work. I am interested in the ways humans interact with nature, sometimes symbiotically but unfortunately more often in contradictory and harmful ways. It’s a frightening prospect that humanity may potentially destroy all of nature’s wonders, including the marine world, upon which my work is primarily inspired. A staggering amount of waste enters the oceans every year, ranging from plastic bags to pesticides endangering seas, coasts, coral reefs and all magnificent life forms that inhabit these places. Hidden under the vast quantities of water, we easily forget the beauty this ecosystem has to offer us and most crucially, its importance to our planet and ultimately our lives. By creating my work, I pay tribute to the natural world and hope to remind people to slow down, reconnect with nature and contribute to its conservation. 

Working intuitively, I combine different clay bodies and porcelain to create imaginative sculptures reminiscent of sub-marine sea life or blooming flora. The curving lines of nature inherent in my work generate an illusion of movement, giving each piece an almost lifelike feel. Rather than relying on glazes, I manipulate textures, stain oxides and colour clay to add visual and tactile interest. There is always a degree of irregularity in my art to give the works notions of life and tension. I thus never strive to achieve perfection and instead aim for harmonious irregularity as even in nature nothing is perfect. 

AWARDS/RESIDENCIES

 

  • 2024 Selected entry 15th Westerwald Prize

  • 2022 Artist Residency Maison des Métiers d’Art, Québec, Canada

  • 2022 Selected entry Blanc de Chine International Ceramic Art Award

  • 2021 First Award, XV Aveiro International Artistic Ceramics Biennial

  • 2021 Selected entry NVK Ceramics Triennial

  • 2019 Recipient Scholarship De Mains de Maîtres Luxembourg

  • 2019 Selected entry Blanc de Chine International Ceramic Art Award

  • 2016 Prix du Jury, De Mains de Maîtres Luxembourg

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

  • Catalogue Letzebuerg an Europa

  • Catalogue Fragile Paradise (Aveiro, Portugal)

  • Catalogue Salon 2023 of the Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg (CAL)

  • Catalogue De Mains de Maîtres 2023 (Luxembourg)

  • Catalogue Art2Cure 2023 (Luxembourg)

  • Catalogue Salon 2022 of the Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg (CAL)

  • Keramiekmagazine De kleine K, July 2022

  • Klei Magazine, nr. 1 jan/feb 2022

  • Catalogue De Mains de Maîtres 2021 (Luxembourg)

  • Catalogue XV Bienal Internacional Cerâmica Artistica (Aveiro, Portugal)

  • Catalogue Salon 2021 of the Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg (CAL)

  • Catalogue Salon 2019 of the Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg (CAL)

  • Catalogue Art2Cure 2019 (Luxembourg)

  • Révélations 2019 (Paris)

  • Catalogue De Mains de Maîtres 2018 (Luxembourg)

  • 125 ans CAL (Cercle Artistique du Luxembourg)

  • Catalogue Salon 2018 of the Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg (CAL)

  • To Ideal land of ceramics, International Contemporary Ceramic Works, (Beijing, China)

  • Catalogue Salon 2017 of the Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg (CAL)

  • Révélations 2017, Le Banquet (Paris)

  • Révélations 2017, 9 Artistes Luxembourgeois à Paris

  • Catalogue De Mains de Maîtres 2016 (Luxembourg)

  • Catalogue Salon 2016 of the Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg (CAL)

  • Catalogue Salon 2015 of the Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg (CAL)

  • Klei in Beweging 2015 (Haarlem/Genk)

  • Catalogue Salon 2013 of the Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg (CAL)

 

COLLECTIONS

 

  • Ministery of Culture Luxembourg

  • Municipality of Aveiro, Portugal

  • Permanent collection Tsinghua University Art Museum Beijing, China

  • Community of Strassen, Luxembourg

  • Private collections in Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, France, Ireland, UK, Belgium, The Netherlands and Mallorca

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Ellen van der Woude is a recommended artist in the Homo Faber Guide.

In 2021 she became a member of the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC/AIC)