Sowing Seeds
11 March - 9 April 2023
In the installation Sowing Seeds, Isa van Lier (Amsterdam, 1996) invited you into her imaginative world of abundance and silence. As in her previous installations, the inspiration comes from her experiences with Japanese culture. She combines the emptiness and wisdom felt in a Zen temple with the colorful abundance of contemporary society, the belief in the animation of objects and the kawaii culture of the Asian country.
Her creative process is deeply connected to living according to the cycles of nature. There is a time for sowing, flowering, harvesting and resting, which follow the four seasons. Without winter no summer, without death no life, without fertile soil and seeds no new ideas and works of art. One of the most beautiful moments in nature and life is the period of sowing. For the artist, it symbolizes the eternal cycle of existence. She who sows, brings forth new life. 2022 was a very successful and intense year for the artist. Among other things, she participated in the prestigious outdoor exhibition Paradys and showed an installation at the Kunsthal. After a period of rest and contemplation, it is now time for Van Lier to share her new seeds and creations with the world.
Clouds
Floating in the emptiness of the completely white gallery space you feel like walking on clouds. Here you can relate to all the shapes and colors around you with the open gaze of a child. The space is filled with ceramic sculptures. Kami Creatures is an ongoing series of cute ceramic figures that serve as guardian angels. On each shape there is a face that smiles at you. In this you can see the influence of Shintoism, which has become a core idea for Van Lier's practice. Shintoism is the animistic belief that permeates the entire Japanese culture and centers on the idea that everything is animated. The so-called Kami (spirit, god, soul) can be found in anything, be it a waterfall, a toothbrush or a cute sculpture.
On the walls Van Lier shows paintings that come to life in sculptural frames made of wood and ceramics. The paintings are also characters, objects that have a soul. They pay tribute to the different seasons and associated elements. Her imagery shows a wonderment for processes such as the germination of a seed, the dying of a leaf and the harvesting of a fruit.
Dreams
With a grab bag full of hand-painted ceramic seeds, Van Lier allows the visitor to become part of her world forever. By receiving and cherishing the sculpture, people become aware of the possibility of planting seeds. The seeds become talismans, reminding the new owners that those who pursue their ideas and dreams will harvest them.
Art Island
26 - 28 May
During the second edition of Art Island we show an installation by Isa van Lier. The artist has a fascination with eggs and islands. She has previously made an egg-shaped temple, now she is creating a temple on an island. In one of the fort's dark rooms, her white pedestals form a special contrast with the drab curved walls. In the installation, she plays with light and the shadows that create her wondrous sculptures.
Isa van Lier (Amsterdam, 1996) makes ceramic sculptures, installations, paintings and drawings. Her work conveys an all-encompassing idea of softness and playfulness. Through a universal visual language of shapes and colours, she immerses the viewer in wonder. Her work is characterised by awakening a childlike curiosity in the viewer, where time stands still and the intuitive inner world may be felt.
CV | Isa van Lier
Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1996
Education
2016-2020 BA Fine Arts, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, The Netherlands
2019 Exchange, Tokyo Zokei University, Tokyo Japan
Exhibitions
2023
Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Art Island, solo
Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Sowing Seeds, solo
2022
Galerie Fleur en Wouter, Amsterdam, Painter’s Painters
Unfair, Amsterdam
Kunsthal, Rotterdam, Kunsthal Light, ‘FLOW’
Oranjewoud, Friesland, group show, ‘Paradys’
Galerie Vriend van Bavink, Amsterdam, group show, ‘Ministerie van Keramische Zaken’
2021
Maaskoe Gallery, Rotterdam, Kerstsalon
Het HEM, Permanent Collection, Zaandam, solo Installation, ‘Guardians of het HEM’
Rademakers Gallery, Amsterdam, Edition Weekend
Art Rotterdam, Rademakers Gallery, Rotterdam, ‘Grabbelton’
Maaskoe Gallery, Rotterdam, duo show, ‘Urschleim’
Het HEM, Zaandam, ALL-INN Graduates
2020
Tiny Art Gallery, Den Haag
New Horizon, group show, Rademakers Gallery, Amsterdam, group show, ‘New Horizon’
Koninklijke Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten, Den Haag, Graduation Show, ‘ZEN SUPERMARKET’
2019
Helena van Doeverenplantsoen, Den Haag, group show, ‘Note-to-Self’
3.00G gallery, Zokei University, Tokyo, Japan, one man show, ‘My Japanese Room’
T’Wit, Amsterdam, duo show with ROTS, ‘Nog Lang Niet Jarig’
KABK, Den Haag, group show, ‘Belly’
2018
SKÈR, Ruigoord, performance, Charley El Ranzino
KABK, Den Haag, group show, ‘To Dee or Not to Dee’
Czaar Peterstraat, Amsterdam, group show, ‘Home Expo 3.0’
2017
Erik’s House, Amsterdam, group show, ‘Blousem’
2016
Landjuweel, Ruigoord, group performance and installation with SKÈR, ‘Sofie in the Jungle’
Mollie Chaoot, Amsterdam, solo show, ‘Grote Glazen Kleine Lettertjes’
2015
Concerto Records store, Amsterdam, solo show
Awards
2021 Nominated for the Piket Kunstprijs
2020 Jan Roëde Award: Certificate of Excellence
Collections
Akzonobel Art Foundation, Amsterdam
Het HEM, Zaandam
Recidencies
2022
Sunday Morning EKWC, Europees Keramisch Werk Centrum
Het HEM, Zaandam
Publications
2022
Publication,‘Paradys: vijftien kunstenaars over macht en maakbaarheid’, Paradys, Oranjewoud, Heerenveen, 7 mei – 14 augustus 2022, Grytsje Klijnstra (red.), Esther Darley, Hans den Hartog Jager, Thomas van Huut en Bert Looper.
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Galerie Fleur & Wouter
The aim of Galerie Fleur & Wouter is to bring young people into contact with art, to make them feel at home in the gallery and to motivate them to start collecting. This philosophy of an accessible and inclusive gallery is reflected in all our activities. We try to communicate in an accessible way and tell clear stories.
We present artists with a strong story, who create works of art that have an immediate appeal, but then turn out to have many other layers as well. Our artists work in different art forms and we are always looking for cross-links outside of the visual arts. Artists who have been ignored by general art history, such as Outsider artists, are also given a platform in the gallery.
The majority of our artists are young and they will grow with the gallery in the coming years. But we also work together with mid-career artists like Jan Hoek and Mai van Oers. We see the gallery, its artists and supporters as a family that, in addition to making a profit, aims to help grow the artists' careers, and increase the appreciation of art in general.
Gallery owners: Fleur Feringa & Wouter van Herwaarden
Feel free to contact us for any questions.
e-mail: info@galeriefleurenwouter.com. telephone: +31 6 57748299 Van Ostadestraat 43A, Amsterdam
Thursday - Sunday 12.00 - 18.00 hrs & by appointment