According to artist Carmen Schabracq (Amsterdam, 1988) we stand on the shoulders of giants. Our ancestors determine much of our story, knowledge and identity, and we shape the story of our children. Carmen Schabracq creates paintings, sculptural installations, masks and performances in which the theatricality of life plays an important role. She gathers stories from various myths, traditions and her own experiences and uses them to create collage-like visual narratives. The mask is a recurring object and theme in her work, which she uses to explore the complexity of human identity. A mask is a tool within a ritual or performance, to become 'the other' and she plays with this in various ways. Her work is also a form of escapism because of the characters she places in spaces of colour. A way to briefly escape from this world and imagine yourself in another, full of playfulness and humour, to deal with the layered reality of life and death. Just as folkloric rituals and traditions do, for instance in the celebration of the seasons, to propitiate the gods, scare off demons and devils or celebrate fertility. Schabracq's work is a stylised theatre of her own cosmos, with references from art history and folklore such as costumes. Carmen was born in Amsterdam (1988), where she now lives and works. In 2012 she obtained her BA in fine arts from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, after a year of painting studies at the Academia di Belle Arti in Rome. In 2015 she obtained her MA in theater costume design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, with a research and body of work she called 'naked masks'. In 2017-2018 she received the ‘new makers subsidy’ from the Performing Arts Fund NL, with which she made two in situ performances in Zeeland. Her work has been shown in several museums, like Central Museum of Textiles Łódź, Poland, Stedelijk Museum Breda, Museum van Bommel van Dam, Venlo, Museum Tot Zover, Amsterdam and Nest, The Hague.
Apotropaic objects have the power to avert evil influences or bad luck. The mask is also inspired on the Bulgarian ‘Kukeri’ masks. Colorful and or hairy devil like mask figures who scares away devils that might come in your space.
This mask is inspired on Baba Yaga, an ambiguous character in Slavic folklore and mythology. One story tells she is three Baba Yaga sisters in the same time, a virgin, a mother and death. I’m intrigued by this layered figure, she is both good and evil. She has the answer on all your questions, but every time you ask her one she gets a year older. And she lives in a hut on chicken legs. In the West we would call her a witch.
This mask is inspired by the sculpture of the Artemis of Ephesus, or the woman of Ephesus. A mother goddess, with a bunch of round shapes on her chest, which have been interpreted in different ways: The Greeks had given her the nickname Polimastos (many-breasted). Others claim that they are eggs, as a sign of fertility. But it is also claimed that they are the testicles of sacrificed bulls. Artemis was indeed also known by the nickname Tauro. And in Tauris (Crimea), in mythical times, the priestesses of High Priestess Iphigenia sacrificed all the men who set foot there.
The Birth was inspired by the story of Lilith, Adam's first wife, who was banished from paradise only because she was equal to Adam. Since then, she has been collecting the "wasted" sperm from men and is always giving birth. They say she gives birth to little devils, but maybe they look like little donkeys. The donkey is the most melancholic animal Carmen knows, and her favorite animal at the moment. This is the first tufted tapestry she made, she sees it as a painting made of yarn and wool.
Every month women have to deal with a bad mood and pain because of their menstruation. Perhaps all this suffering is because of the loss of an egg. This is the first painting the artist painted with egg tempera.
This work is a self-portrait, inspired on the 'Madonna Lactans, the late Middle Ages paintings of Madonna's feeding Jesus. It is also a self-portrait where Carmen shows how she's feeding herself. As long as she doesn't have children, she is feeding herself with making art, with inspiration from within, with the milk of dreams -after Eleonora Carrington's story, and the title of this year's main exhibition of the Venice Biennale with almost only female artists-.
Masks of the goat are used in several masquerade rituals in different places in Europe. The horned one sometimes represents a connection to the devil. In some rituals the goat stands for fertility and in others it is a scary character. It is an important animal in many cults: in the bible, and in ancient Syria. In Greek mythology the god Pan is half human half goat, in Romania there is a traditional goat dance and in Bulgaria the goat accompanies the Kukeri in their masquerade rituals. For this mask the artist used three different techniques: papier-mâché, basketry of willow branches and crochet of wool.
In the summer of 2021 Carmen did an art residency in a small village in the middle of Bulgaria, Vishovgrad. She wanted to do research on the rich masquerade tradition of Bulgaria, where the main masked figures are called 'Kukeri, who chase the evil spirits of the winter away and welcome spring and fertility, accompanied by a goat and other characters to scare the devil. Since she was there in the middle of the summer and the Kukeri only appear in winter time, she decided to paint them in the bar, where the locals were drinking and spending their summer, which was also her entrance to the local community.
Carmen Schabracq, 1988, Amsterdam EDUCATION 2016 Masterclass by Romeo Castellucci, Biennale del teatro, Venezia, IT 2014-2015 MFA, Theatre costume design, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerpen, BE 2008-2012 BFA, Fine Arts, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, NL 2010 Erasmus exchange, painting, Sint Lucas Academy, Gent, BE 2007-2008 First year of BA painting, Accademia di Belle Arti, Rome, IT GRANTS 2025 Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Stipendium, NL 2025 Werktuig PPO grant, Permanent Professional Development, NL 2025 Mondriaan Fund, International Art Presentation, NL 2025 Nomination ‘Designer Award’, costume design for Mama Dada, Nederlands Theater Festival, NL 2024 Europe Moves grant, Goethe Institute x European Union EU 2024 Werktuig PPO grant, Permanent Professional Development, NL 2021 Mondriaan Fund, Covid support Artist NL 2020 Amarte Fund, project grant for working period at Hembrug Terrein Zaandam NL 2017/2018 New Maker Subsidy, FPK Dutch Performing Arts Fund NL RESIDENCIES 2024 Artist in residency, Lotto Zero Textile Centre, Prato IT 2022 Artist in residency, BijlmAIR, CBK Zuidoost, Amsterdam NL 2021 Artist in residency, Kunsthuis SYB, Beetsterzwaag NL 2021 Artist in residency, ARV.International, Vishovgrad BU 2020 Artist in residency, Vincent van Gogh Huis, Zundert NL 2019 Artist in residency, Casa Lü Parque Hundido, Mexico City MX COLLECTIONS Amsterdam Museum NL Akzo Nobel Art foundation NL Ministerie Binnenlandse zaken NL Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam NL Centrum Beeldende Kunst Zuid-Oost NL Vincent van Gogh Huis NL Various private collections NL, BE, IT, MX EXHIBITIONS 2026 (upcoming) Grenzeloos kunst verkennen, new in-situ work part of art route, NL 2026 (upcoming) MiArt, Milano Art Fair, solo show, Red Lab Gallery & Galerie Fleur en Wouter, Milano, IT 2026 (upcoming) Coolcity3000, group show, SPACE collection, Liège, BE 2026 (upcoming) Art Rotterdam, duo show with Agata Ferrari Bravo, curated by Andrea Contin, Red Lab Gallery, NL 2026 (upcoming) Awaiting Legends / ‘Uit het niets’, group show, curated by Ellis Kat, Kunst Linie Almere, NL 2026 (upcoming) Greige Fantastic, group show, curated by Maia Kenney, De Nederlandsche Bank, Amsterdam, NL 2026 Grey! Art on Aging, group show, curated by Mirjam Westen & Sjors Bindels, Museum van Bommel van Dam, Venlo, NL 2025/2026 Deconstruction Reconstruction, 18th Textile Triennial Lodz, group show, curated by Bukola Oyebode & Marta Kowalewska, Central Museum of Textile Lödz, PL 2025 Kissambushed, group show, curated by me, Gallery van Fanny Freytag, Amsterdam, NL 2025 Pittura Ora, trio show represented by Red Lab Gallery, Art Verona, Verona, IT 2025 The Mothers I wear, solo show, curated by Leonardo Regano, Red Lab Gallery, Milano, IT 2025 A Centre without a middle, group show, Marian Cramer Projects, Amsterdam, NL 2025 Nieuwe Lijnen, group show, Museum Villa Mondriaan, Winterswijk, NL 2025 Wall of She, group show, curated by Cathelijne Blok, Galerie Sofie van de Velde, Antwerpen, BE 2025 Boven Natuur, group show, De Vishal, Haarlem, NL 2024/2025 Vrouwen van Amsterdam - een Ode, group show, Amsterdam Museum, NL 2024 When Roots Start Riding Horses, solo, Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Amsterdam, NL 2024 PAN art fair, group show, Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Amsterdam, NL 2024 It hûs is net ien, SYB triënnale, group show, Kunsthuis Syb, Beetsterzwaag, NL 2024 Vrouwen van Zuid Oost, group show, OSCAM / Amsterdam Museum, NL 2024 Limburg Biënnale, group show, Marres & Odapark, Maastricht, NL 2024 I turn my blood into milk for you, solo, Metroscope Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam, NL 2023/2024 Delicious Death, group show, Museum Tot Zover, Amsterdam, NL 2023 Some One No One and One hundredthousand, solo, Studio Seine, Rotterdam, NL 2023 Continue This Thread, group show, Amsterdam Museum, NL 2023 Kunst RAI, solo, Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Amsterdam, NL 2023 The Grand Palace of Everyone, group show, No Limits! Art Castle x Nest ruimte, Den Haag, NL 2022/23 Van Gogh als inspiratie - Aanwinsten, group show, Vincent Van Gogh Huis, Zundert, NL 2022/23 BijlmAIR, group show, CBK Zuid-Oost, Amsterdam, NL 2022 Day of the Donkey, duo show with Dodi Espinosa, Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Amsterdam, NL 2022 CABEZAS, solo, Art Bar Kippy, Amsterdam, NL 2022 My Other Sister, duo show with Jacquelien Gosschalk de Leeuw, No Limits! Art Castle, Amsterdam, NL 2022 ICONS, group show, Factor-IJ, Amsterdam, NL 2022 Depend On Me, group show, Punt WG, Amsterdam, NL 2021/22 Vanwege Vincent, group show, Stedelijk Museum Breda, NL 2021 Unity Duality Trinity, group show, AXS Art, De School, Amsterdam, NL 2021 Dionysian Days, solo, Gallery Heerz Tooya, Veliko Turnovo, BG 2021 The Salon of the Lazy Horse, solo, This Art Fair, Amsterdam, NL 2021 Extravaganza, group show, Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Amsterdam, NL 2021 Open studio, solo, Open Door Creative Studio, Hembrug terrein, Zaandam, NL 2021 Becoming Vincent I’ll never walk alone, solo (online), Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Amsterdam, NL 2020 Vincent van Gogh AiR, solo, Van Gogh Galerie, Zundert, NL 2019 Realidad del Perro, group show, Casa Lü, Mexico City, MX 2019 Dicke Mädchen, trio-show with Rosa Schützendorf & Jack Davey, Oranjestraat 25, Art Antwerpen, BE 2017 Maskerade, group show, Stichting Polderlicht X Kunst Traject, Amsterdam, NL 2016 XII, group show, W139, Amsterdam, NL PERFORMANCES 2025 Santa Lucia, Corpi sul Palco, performance night curated by Andrea Contin, Milano 2024 I turn my blood into milk for you, performance at PAN podium, PAN art fair, Amsterdam 2022 Apotropaic Masks performance, SUPRISE, Tomoko Mukaiyama x Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam 2022 Day of the Donkey, Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Amsterdam 2022 Agave, Club M, Dordrechts Museum x Kunstmin, Dordrecht 2022 Becoming Vincent, Starry Night, Stedelijk Museum Breda 2020 Xolotl guide to the underworld, performance in collaboration with Project Wildeman, Amsterdam 2020 Listening to the political voice of the sea, Ambassade v/d Noordzee, Frascati Amsterdam 2018 Kustpijn Paardenkracht, Zeeland Nazomer Festival, strand Zoutelande 2018 De Poesie Bar, Eddie and the Eagles, het Bimhuis, Amsterdam 2017 Medusa, Imagine Film Festival, Eye Film Museum, Amsterdam 2017 Sint Nicolaas hij komt hij komt, Sint Nicolaas church, Brouwershaven 2016 Is the body the pedestal of the head?, 12 hour performance, XII, W139, Amsterdam 2014 Latte di Lupa, performance in collaboration with Dood Paard, Frascati, Amsterdam COMMISSIONED WORK 2026 Creation of painted special edition jewelry box for Wouters & Hendrix BE/NL 2025 Costume & mask design for ‘No Man’s Land’, stichting No Mad Is Me, theater Walhalla, Rotterdam 2025 Costume design for ‘Mama Dada’, Theater aan de Rijn, Arnhem 2024 Masks & costume design for the opera ‘The Gospel according to the other Mary’, Volksoper Vienna 2024 Costume design for ‘I Love Roma’, by Giovanni Brand, Walhalla & Theaterproductie huis Zeeland 2023 Masks for ‘De Eindtijd Revue’ by performance collective URLAND 2022 Mask & costume design for the opera ‘I Have Missed You Forever’, Dutch National Opera 2020 Costume design & scenography, ‘Beige’, by Sheralynn Adriaanse, Stichting Likeminds 2020 Costume design & scenography, ‘Djinns’, by Ko van den Bosch, Stichting Likeminds 2019 Scenography, The tragedy of Slaughtervaart, Dood Paard 2019 De Minotaurus, interactive sculpture in collaboration with BREI, Stip, festival Boulevard 2018 De Zeemond, interactive sculpture, commissioned by Ambassade van de Noordzee 2017 Costumes and scenography for ‘Het raadsel van alles wat leeft’, Dood Paard 2017 Costumes and scenography for ‘Terug naar huis’, Naomi van der Linde, Oerol Terschelling 2017 Costume design & scenography, ‘Hiroshima mon amour’, Zuidpool, Zeeland Nazomer Festival, Tholen
Photography by Jan Stads, Jonathan de Waart, Cleo Goossens