Back

Felieke van der Leest

Jeweller  /  MunichJewelleryWeek2023
Published: 31.01.2022
Felieke van der Leest Felieke van der Leest

Statement

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 catalogue.

Apart from the obvious fun her work sometimes shows 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

CV      View / hide description

On sale at      View / hide description

Events      View / hide events

2023:
Exhibition  25 May 2023 - 29 Jun 2023  Heirlooms of the Future II: To Cherish & Treasure.
Exhibition  04 May 2023 - 11 Jun 2023  Extranalities Nr.12: Pop it or Pin it.
Lectures  28 Apr 2023 - 29 Apr 2023  Conferences at Melting Point Valencia 2023.
Exhibition  27 Apr 2023 - 28 May 2023  Extranalities Nr.11: Pictureware 3.
Exhibition  15 Apr 2023 - 27 May 2023  #Tarot.
Fair  13 Apr 2023 - 30 Apr 2023  Schmuck Fair 2023 in Valencia.
Exhibition  09 Mar 2023 - 12 Mar 2023  Extranalities Nr.10: Pictureware 2.
Fair  08 Mar 2023 - 12 Mar 2023  Schmuck Fair 2023.
Exhibition  08 Mar 2023 - 12 Mar 2023  Gallery Platina at Frame 2023.
2022:
Exhibition  01 Dec 2022 - 30 Jan 2023  Old Meets New and New Narratives.
Exhibition  17 Sep 2022 - 14 Oct 2022  Pop it or Pin it.
Meeting  09 Jul 2022 - 09 Jul 2022  Scrotum Clamp and Sasebo: 2 Jewellery bands.
Exhibition  06 Jul 2022 - 10 Jul 2022  Gallery Platina at Frame 2022.
2021:
Exhibition  30 Sep 2021 - 03 Oct 2021  Legnica SILVER at Romanian Jewellery Week 2.0.
Exhibition  20 Mar 2021 - 15 May 2021  Symphony in Rhapsody by Felieke van der Leest.
2020:
Exhibition  19 Dec 2020 - 31 Mar 2021  The Palace of Shattered Vessels: Light Catchers.
Exhibition  30 Sep 2020 - 15 Dec 2020  METALLOphone: Museum.
Exhibition  08 Aug 2020 - 06 Sep 2020  ArtWear.
Exhibition  04 Apr 2020 - 02 May 2020  The Power and Beauty of Art Jewelry.
Exhibition  11 Mar 2020 - 15 Mar 2020  BEADED.
2019:
Exhibition  07 Nov 2019 - 10 Nov 2019  Marjan Unger Tribute.
Exhibition  10 Sep 2019 - 26 Oct 2019  Mirabilia.
Exhibition  18 May 2019 - 16 Jun 2019  Jewelrassic Park by Felieke van der Leest in Cambridge.
2018:
Exhibition  08 Dec 2018 - 31 Jan 2019  Nature Redefined: Contemporary Explorations.
Exhibition  17 Nov 2018 - 24 Dec 2018  Christmas exhibition Ho!Ho!Ho!.
Exhibition  28 Sep 2018 - 15 Dec 2018  Jewelrassic Park by Felieke van der Leest in Beijing.
Exhibition  24 Mar 2018 - 17 Jun 2018  Give it time.
2017:
Exhibition  13 Dec 2017 - 03 Jun 2018  Jewellery. Made By, Worn By.
Exhibition  17 Nov 2017 - 28 May 2018  Jewelry of Ideas: Gifts from the Susan Grant Lewin Collection..
Exhibition  13 Sep 2017 - 12 Nov 2017  Jewelrassic Park by Felieke van der Leest in Shanghai.
Exhibition  01 Aug 2017 - 31 Aug 2017  Jewelrassic Park.
Gallery Froots & Nogart
Exhibition  07 Jul 2017 - 31 Aug 2017  Beyond the Blue. United by Colour & Creativity.
Exhibition  20 May 2017 - 28 May 2017  Becoming More Porous. Becoming More Craft-oriented.
Exhibition  22 Apr 2017 - 23 Jul 2017  Ajavahe. Time Difference at the 7th Tallinn Applied Art Triennial.
Exhibition  21 Apr 2017 - 23 Jul 2017  7th Tallinn Applied Art Triennial: Ajavahe. Time Difference.
Estonian Museum of Applied Arts and Design
Fair  08 Mar 2017 - 14 Mar 2017  Schmuck 2017.
Exhibition  01 Feb 2017 - 31 May 2017  Nature Morte.
National Museum, Poland
Exhibition  15 Jan 2017 - 18 May 2017  Met passie verzameld, met liefde geschonken/ Collected with Passion, Donated with Love.
CODA Museum
Exhibition  07 Jan 2017 - 18 Feb 2017  Jewelrassic Park by Felieke van der Leest.
Exhibition  07 Jan 2017 - 18 Feb 2017  Jewelrassic Park.
Galerie Rob Koudijs
Exhibition  07 Jan 2017 - 18 Feb 2017  Jewelrassic Park by Felieke van der Leest.
2016:
Exhibition  26 Jul 2016 - 31 Aug 2016  Romantic Jewelry.
Meeting  26 Apr 2016 - 05 Jun 2016  Legnica International Jewellery Festival Silver 2016.
Exhibition  19 Apr 2016 - 14 Aug 2016  Chemins croisés.
Meeting  27 Feb 2016 - 27 Feb 2016  Alternative Schmuck Night.
Fair  24 Feb 2016 - 01 Mar 2016  Schmuck 2016.
Exhibition  22 Jan 2016 - 30 Mar 2016  Not Too Precious at Kilkenny.
2015:
Exhibition  07 Nov 2015 - 24 Dec 2015  Happy! 25 Years of Friends of Carlotta.
Exhibition  11 Jul 2015 - 20 Sep 2015  Not Too Precious.
Exhibition  01 Feb 2015 - 25 May 2015  Into the Zoo by Felieke van der Leest.
2014:
Exhibition  09 Oct 2014 - 12 Oct 2014  Shanghai Design Week: Metalsmithing & Jewelry Art Exhibition.
Exhibition  26 Jul 2014 - 31 Aug 2014  15. Erfurter Schmucksymposium.
Exhibition  18 Jun 2014 - 19 Jul 2014  Différence et Répétition.
Exhibition  21 May 2014 - 29 Jun 2014  The Earring Show 2.
Exhibition  09 May 2014 - 12 May 2014  Galerie Rob Koudijs at Collect.
Exhibition  04 Apr 2014 - 04 May 2014  International Earring Exhibition.
Exhibition  28 Mar 2014 - 19 Apr 2014  ZOO is Life by Felieke van der Leest.
Exhibition  30 Jan 2014 - 30 Mar 2014  Chain Reactions: Claartje Keur’s jewellery and portrait.
2013:
Exhibition  29 Nov 2013 - 02 Mar 2014  Papallona / Mariposa / Butterfly.
Exhibition  01 May 2013 - 16 Jun 2013  A Jewel a Day Keeps Wrinkles Away.
2012:
Workshop  10 Dec 2012 - 10 Dec 2012  Felieke van der Leest: Crochet Workshop Animal Rings.
Exhibition  07 Dec 2012 - 25 Dec 2012  Felieke van der Leest: Once upon a time in My West (part 1 & 2).
Exhibition  03 Nov 2012 - 05 Jan 2013  Felieke van der Leest: Once upon a time in My West (part 2).
Exhibition  17 Oct 2012 - 17 Nov 2012  Nadelwerke.
Exhibition  13 Jul 2012 - 09 Sep 2012  European Prize for Applied Arts 2012.
Exhibition  11 May 2012 - 14 May 2012  Galerie Rob Koudijs at Collect.
Exhibition  24 Feb 2012 - 26 Feb 2012  Gallery deux poissons at TOKYO FRONTLINE.
2011:
Exhibition  23 Sep 2011 - 22 Oct 2011  Conceptual Jewellery.
Award  10 Sep 2011 - 02 Oct 2011  Cominelli Foundation Award 2011.
Exhibition  26 May 2011 - 17 Jun 2011  BROOCH BROSS.
Exhibition  06 May 2011 - 09 May 2011  Galerie Rob Koudijs at Collect.
Exhibition  16 Apr 2011 - 21 May 2011  Felieke van der Leest: Once upon a time in My West (part 1).
Exhibition  17 Feb 2011 - 16 Apr 2011  Creative Creatures.
Exhibition  10 Feb 2011 - 13 Feb 2011  Galerie Rob Koudijs at Object Rotterdam.
2010:
Fair  11 Jun 2010 - 13 Jun 2010  Eunique 2010.
Exhibition  29 May 2010 - 09 Jan 2011  Felieke van der Leest: Jewelry Circus.
Exhibition  14 May 2010 - 17 May 2010  Galerie Rob Koudijs at Collect.
Fair  14 May 2010 - 17 May 2010  Collect 2010.
Exhibition  17 Apr 2010 - 05 May 2010  A Nadie le Amarga....
Meeting  12 Apr 2010 - 16 Apr 2010  GRAY AREA GRIS SYMPOSIUM.
Fair  03 Mar 2010 - 09 Mar 2010  Schmuck 2010.
2009:
Exhibition  03 Oct 2009 - 07 Feb 2010  Sieren met dieren (Adorn with animals).
Exhibition  23 Sep 2009 - 07 Nov 2009  Showtime.
Exhibition  19 Sep 2009 - 27 Sep 2009  OP VOORRAAD.
Exhibition  11 Mar 2009 - 17 Mar 2009  Studio GR20 at Section “Frame”.
2008:
Exhibition  07 Nov 2008 - 23 Dec 2008  Dutch masters.
Exhibition  25 Oct 2008 - 29 Nov 2008  Felieke van der Leest: F.I.B.S..
Exhibition  10 May 2008 - 17 Aug 2008  The European Triennial of Contemporary Jewellery 2008.
2007:
Award  06 Dec 2007 - 09 Dec 2007  New Traditional Jewellery Design Contest 2007.
Exhibition  01 Sep 2007 - 14 Oct 2007  Challenging the châtelaine.
Exhibition  23 Aug 2007 - 29 Sep 2007  Animals 2007.
Exhibition  05 May 2007 - 01 Jul 2007  Schmuck 2007.
Exhibition  28 Apr 2007 - 19 May 2007  Animals at Beatrice Lang Galerie.
Exhibition  01 Apr 2007 - 12 May 2007  New Horizons.
2005:
Exhibition  15 Dec 2005 - 08 Jan 2006  De Rebus Naturae.
2004:
Exhibition  05 Nov 2004 - 30 Jan 2005  Metallic Yellow. Gold for Robert Smit.
2003:
Exhibition  06 Sep 2003 - 16 Oct 2003  Jewellery by Felieke van der Leest.

Publications      View / hide publications

Catalogue:  Art Wear, Contemporary Jewelry NL. The Netherlands,  2020
Catalogue:  The Palace of Shattered Vessels. Chinese Porcelain and Contemporray Jewelry. Froots & Nogart:  Shanghai,  2019
Newspaper:  OBSESSED! Jewellery festival 2019. Current Obession:  Amsterdam,  2019
Book:  RINGS of the 20th and 21st Centuries. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection. Chadour-Sampson, BeatrizArnoldsche Art Publishers:  Stuttgart,  2019
Book:  New Brooches: 400+ Contemporary Jewellery Designs. Estrada, NicolasPromopress:  Barcelona,  2018
Catalogue:  European Prize for Applied Arts – Monumentality/Fragility. BeCraft/World Crafts Council – BF:  Mons,  2018
Book:  New Necklaces: 400+ Contemporary Designs. Nicolas EstradaPromopress:  United Kingdom,  2016
Book:  Felieke van der Leest: The Zoo of Life. Jewellery & Objects 1996–2014. Veiteberg, Jorunn; Schrijver, WardArnoldsche Art Publishers:  Stuttgart,  2015
Book:  I love you, Design Jewellery & Accessories. Designerbooks:  China,  2014
Catalogue:  Skilnad og gjentaking / Différence et répétition. Norway/France,  2014
Catalogue:  Shanghai International Metalsmithing & Jewelry Art Exhibition. China,  2014
Catalogue:  30 Years in the Making. Lesley Craze Gallery:  UK,  2014
Book:  New Earrings: 500+ designs from around the world. Estrada, NicolasThames & Hudson:  Untied Kingdom,  2013
Book:  ManoBook No 4. MANO independent curatorial team for contemporary jewellery:  Taiwan,  2013
Catalogue:  Kunsthåndverk 2013. Norske Kunsthåndverkere:  Norway,  2013
Catalogue:  2013 Beijing International Jewelry Art Exhibition. China,  2013
Catalogue:  Papallona / Mariposa / Butterfly. Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Granollers:  Spain,  2013
Book:  Suzanne Golden Presents. Lark Jewelry & Beading:  USA,  2013
Magazine:  Art Aurea. Germany,  2013
Sommer
Catalogue:  A Jewel a day keeps Wrinkles away. Taiwan,  2013
Catalogue:  European Prize for Applied Arts 2012. Belgium,  2012
Book:  Jewelbook. International Annual of Contemporary Jewel Art 12/13. Van Damme, JaakStichting Kunstboek:  Oostkamp,  2012
Catalogue:  Abushan, Seed to Silver. World Crafts Council:  2011
Catalogue:  Kunsthåndverk - 2010 - Et utvalg. Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design:  Norway,  2011
Book:  21st Century Jewelry, the best of the 500 Series. Lark Books:  USA,  2011
Catalogue:  Open Mind. Sungkok Art Museum:  South Korea,  2011
Catalogue:  Premio per il Gioiello Contemporaneo Fondazione Cominelli. II edizione:  Italy,  2011
Book:  Contemporary Jewelry Art, innovative materials, Design-Ma-Ma. Cypi Press:  China,  2011
Book:  Gray Area Gris: contemporay jewellery and cultural diversity. Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, Otro Diseño Foundation, Prins Claus Fonds:  Amsterdam,  2011
Catalogue:  Kunsthåndverk 2010. Norske Kunsthåndverkere:  Norway,  2010
Catalogue:  Schmuck 2010. Germany,  2010
Book:  500 Plastic Jewelry Designs. Lark Books:  USA,  2009
Catalogue:  Utstillingen09. Norske Kunsthåndverkere:  Norway,  2009
Book:  Dutch Masters. Folchini Grassetto, GraziellaStudio Gr.20:  Padova,  2008
Catalogue:  European Triennial of Contemporary Jewellery 2008. Belgium,  2008
Book:  500 Pendants & Lockets. Lark Books:  USA,  2008
Book:  Adorn, New Jewellery. Amanda MansellUK,  2008
Catalogue:  Arte. Mensile di Arte, Cultura. Informazione:  Italy,  2008
Catalogue:  Textile Forum. 2008
1/2008
Magazine:  Design Addict Nr 1. Japan,  2008
Catalogue:  Thread of Silk. UK,  2008
Magazine:  GZ art + design. Germany,  2008
Nr. 4
Catalogue:  DESIGN creative/design/branding. Taiwan,  2008
Catalogue:  Schmuck 2007. Germany,  2007
Catalogue:  Contemparary Jewelry. Japan,  2007
Book:  500 Earrings. USA,  2007
Book:  Felieke van der Leest, Sieradenfabels-Jewellery Fables. Schrijver, Ward; Worsdale, GodfreyMIMA Museums & Galleries, Middlesbrough Council, GB:  Amsterdam, Netherlands,  2006
Book:  Challenging the Châtelaine!. Designmuseo:  Finland,  2006
Catalogue:  Dutch Design Awards 2006. The Netherlands,  2006
Book:  500 Necklaces. Lark Books:  USA,  2006
Book:  New Directions in Jewellery II. Black Dog Publishing:  England,  2006
Book:  Sieradenfabels - Jewellery Fables. MIMA Museums & Galleries:  UK,  2006
Catalogue:  Maker, Wearer, Viewer. Scotland,  2005
Book:  500 Brooches. Lark Books:  UK,  2005
Magazine:  Metalsmith “Exhibition in Print 2005”. USA,  2005
volume 25 number 4
Book:  1000 Rings. Lark Books:  USA,  2004
Magazine:  Fiberarts. USA,  2004
March / April
Magazine:  Jucca. Japan,  2004
Spring / Summer
Book:  Inner luxury. International contemporary jewellery. Gaspar, MònicaFundació “La Caixa”:  Barcelona,  2003
Catalogue:  Dutch Design van de 20ste eeuw. Toon Lauwen:  The Netherlands,  2003
Book:  Lepels | Spoons. Derrez, PaulGalerie Ra:  Amsterdam,  2002
Catalogue:  Schmuck 2002. Germany,  2002
Catalogue:  Dutch Diversity. The Netherlands,  2002
Catalogue:  Lepels Spoons. Galerie Ra:  2002
Book:  Mikromegas, eine austellung von Otto Künzli. Galerie für Angewandte Kunst München:  Munich,  2001
CD-ROM:  Parures d’ailleurs, parures d’ici, incidences, coincïdences. Switzerland,  2001
Catalogue:  2001 Mikromegas, eine austellung von Otto Künzli. Galerie für Angewandte Kunst:  Germany,  2001
Catalogue:  Onedel/Non Precious. The Netherlands,  2001
Magazine:  Slipstich, new concepts of knitting. The Netherlands,  2000
Magazine:  Maritimiteiten. The Netherlands,  2000
CD - Rom:  Virtual Gallery of Contemporary Jewellery. The Netherlands,  2000
Catalogue:  Schmuck ’99. Germany,  1999
Catalogue:  Mind Seductions. Estonia,  1999
Book:  Jewellery Moves: Ornament for the 21st Century. Game, Amanda; Goring, ElisabethNMS publishing Limited, Nationals Museums of Scotland:  Scotland, 
Book:  Showcase 500 Rings. New Directions in Art Jewelry. Metcalf, Bruce; Le Van, MartheLark Crafts:  Asheville, 
Book:  Humor in Craft. Martin, BrigitteSchiffer Publishing, Ltd:  Pennsylvania, 
Magazine:  Metalsmith Magazine. Suzanne RamljakSociety Of North American Goldsmiths:  Bethel,