About the artist

The ‘menina’ of Velasquez, Arnolfini’s pregnant wife in the Van Eyck portrait, and Rogier van der Weyden’s veiled ‘lady’: Suzanne Jongmans brings them to life in her photographic portraits. This nod to the old masters of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries – certainly also to Rembrandt and Vermeer – is only one aspect of her work. It is all about tranquillity, timelessness, beauty. Qualities she discovers even in disposable material such as packing foam and tin, with which she meticulously designs the exquisite costumes for her models – a subtle critique of our consumer society. And so layer after layer accumulates in her oeuvre, contrast after contrast. Between classic and modern, light and dark, life experience and childlike innocence.

​‘She creates a tension and a meeting between the classical and the modern, the constant and the fugitive. Her images radiate an immanence, through the mundane scraps, we glimpse the divine.’

Karen Van Godtsenhoven, associate curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)​

Suzanne Jongmans (Breda, The Netherlands, 1978) is an interdisciplinary artist. She is a seamstress, sculptor, costume designer and photographer. She held her first solo exhibition at the European Economic and Social Committee and has also exhibited at the Welt museum in Vienna. Her commissioned work includes a campaign for Valentino/Moncler and she has been featured in the international press (The Washington Post, on CNN and Die Deutsche Welle).

‘Dutch artist Suzanne Jongmans creates photographs that echo the old masters, but with a modern twist’

The Observer

Education

1996-2000 Academie Voor Beeldende Vorming Tilburg
graduated in Textile Design and Photography

Selected Solo and Group Exhibitions

2019
PAN Amsterdam, Galerie Wilms NL
Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam NL
Moving through contrast, (solo) Galerie Wilms NL
Modest Fashion, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam NL
CITTÀ DI VELLUTO, Ala, IT
Kindred Spirits, EESC Brussels BE
Munch Fabric Start, Munchen DE

2018
Assignment of 3 artworks commissioned by Valentino / Moncler Italy
“Veiled, Unveiled! The Headscarf, Welt museum Wenen, AU
PAN Amsterdam, Galerie Wilms

​2017
American embassy, Galerie Wilms
PAN Amsterdam, Galerie Wilms
KunstRAI (solo), Amsterdam, Galerie Wilms
The Duchess, Amsterdam
SALON/CRAFT, Amsterdam
Geldrop Museum (solo)
Miscellaneous II, Venlo Galerie Wilms
10 jaar Galerie Wilms Lustrum tentoonstelling

Kindred Spirits, Solo, Galerie Wilms - Venlo

Rotterdam Contemporary Art Fair 2017, Galerie Wilms
 

2016
PAN Amsterdam, Galerie Wilms
Tuin der Kunsten, Galerie Wilms, Venlo
Tuin der Kunsten, Museum van Bommel van Dam, Venlo
Miscellaneous II, Galerie Wilms, Venlo

2015
Yip art Fotoveiling
Museum de Kantfabriek, Horst
Cacoafabriek , Helmond
PAN Amsterdam, Galerie Wilms, Amsterdam
Kunstrai, Galerie Wilms, Amsterdam
Art the Hague, Galerie Wilms, Amsterdam
Realisme, Galerie Wilms, Amsterdam

2014
PAN, Galerie Wilms, Amsterdam
Mind over Matter, Solo, Galerie Wilms, Venlo
Museum van Bommel Van Dam, Verzameling Venlo, Venlo
(Work is included in the museum collection)
Art The Hague, Galerie Wilms, The Hague
a Group show, Gallery Stephanie Hoppen, London
Amphia Ziekenhuis, Solo, Breda
Art Realisme, Galerie Wilms, Amsterdam
KunstRAI, Galerie Wilms, Amsterdam

2013
Art The Hague, Galerie Wilms, The Hague
Through a Glass Darkly, Gallery Stephanie Hoppen, London
LAPADA, Gallery Stephanie Hoppen, London
KunstRai, Galerie Wilms, Amsterdam
Museum ’t Oude Slot, Solo, Veldhoven
Art Realisme, Galerie Wilms, Amsterdam

2012
KunstRai, Galerie Wilms, Amsterdam
Art Realisme, Galerie Wilms, Amsterdam

2011
It's a Wrap, KOP, Breda 
Suzanne Jongmans, Galerie Wilms, Venlo
Zomerexpositie, Gemeentemuseum, The Hague
De Museumwinkel, Galerie Ecker, Breda
Mail Art Project, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
Group exhibition, De Krabbedans Eindhoven

2010
Essent-Foyer, Chassetheater, Breda
Arti, Galerie Pennings, Den Haag
Stik maar, Museum Kempenland, Eindhoven
Solo, Galerie Pennings, Eindhoven

2009
Oog in oog, KOP, Breda
Duetten, Galerie Ecker, Breda

2008
Openstudio route, Breda Photo, Breda

2007
Duo exhibition, Galerie Wilms, Venlo
Identity, KOP, Breda
Front, Solo exhibition, Chassétheater Breda
Harry Pennings estafetteprijs, Galerie Pennings, Eindhoven

Publications

Die Welle - documantery about Suzanne Jongmans  2019
The Grid - The Guardian/ The observer  2018
Salzburger Nachrichten
NTR Zaterdag Matinee, 2017
Boekrecensie in Brabant Cultureel 2015
Philomagazine 2015
Residence 2015
Valentino 2015
'Holland Herald' the inflight magazine of KLM 2015
Palet 2014
Selvedge Magazine (58), Paper, scissors, shoot, Sue Steward, 2014, UK
NRC, Rebelse kunstwerken in kasteel Keukenhof,
Sandra Smallenburg, 2013, NL

Palet, Oude Meesters in nieuwe foto’s,
Thijs van Kimmenade, 2013, NL
Eindhovens Dagblad, Portretten met
een knipoog, Rob Schoonen, 2013, NL

Washington Post,  Flemish art, back to
the future , Maura Judkis, 2012, USA

Brabant Cultureel, De kwetsbaarheid van Suzanne Jongmans, Irma van Bommel, 2011, NL
‘Stillevens’ in Tortuga (28) 2011
Elsevier, Moderne Vermeer, Ingrid van
der Chijs, 2010 NL

BLINK, Suzanne Jongmans, 2005

 

All artworks