Fiona Lutjenhuis’ work moves from installations to artist books and from commissioned works to self initiated projects. Her speculative imagery fits perfectly in the contemporary discourse on a post positivist society. In every image we can feel the humour and courage to dive into worlds without strongholds.
Being raised in a cult she grew up with ideas about the world completely different from her contemporaries. Leaving her family quite young she gradually came to terms with this upbringing and found a way to take it on as a topic. In a sense you could say she’s ahead of a lot of us in being intimate with convictions very alien to common knowledge. Secret societies, mixtures of sci-fi and esoterism, beings form other planets interfering with our world, she heard it all as a child and developed a strong autonomous rationality to balance it.
The apocalypse as told by my father. The condemned are left and not to be taken by the aliens. The aliens will save only the enlightened from a sunflair that burns the surface of this earth. A biblical angel appears as butterfly wings. Cave drawings are all that is left of us. It was told that it would happen within 5 years, but it never did.
A Family portrait. A depiction of a dream with my sisters and a scene of my parents watching the eclipse in our backyard. The room with my sisters is filled with Bonsai Trees that are growing while we look at the mudras on the dinner table.
Daddy Long Legs And The Web (of lies) is about my father telling stories about the secrets of the forest, including a self portrait with my father and mother. And my birds, Pikachuu and Willy.
The 360 landscape holds the masters of the cult, depicted as a hawk and owls. The birds in the landscape are their flock. The floating shoji walled buildings are depicting scenes of me and my family. I painted us as dolls.
One person wooden bed with silver sand castles. The bed frame is painted with varnish and pigmented casein. The work is based on a nightmare I had as a child. The dream was about me and my family. We were nomads and traveling through the desert. One of us got shot in the heart by god and was left behind. The face of one of us was burning in flames.
The dolls are inspired by Kokeshi Dolls in Japan and a crossover to the statues you would find in the tombs of Ancient Egypt. The work is about me feeling observed by the aliens. Like christianity would ensure that God sees everything, I was told that the aliens would see everything.
The lamb with two heads and six eyes is inspired by Dolly, the first cloned sheep.
Illustrating death masks as past lives and flowers that are associated with death.
Fiona Lutjenhuis (1991, Zevenaar, NL)
Education
—— BA Fine Art, ArtEZ Institute of the Arts, Arnhem, The Netherlands (2010 – 2014)
Recidency
—— Rijksakademie Van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam (2022-2024)
Stipendia/scholarships
—— Van Bijleveltstichting, Fellowship (2023-2024)
—— Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds (2022-2023)
—— Corona Bridging Grant for Artists, Curators, Researchers (2021)
—— Young Talent Stipend Mondrian Fund (2018)
Collections
—— AkzoNobel Art Foundation
—— Museum Dordrecht, Dordrecht
—— Museum Krona, Uden
—— Museum Helmond, Helmond
—— Schunck Glaspaleis, Heerlen
—— Provinciehuis Gelderland, Arnhem
Publications
—— 'Sideways Universe', printed by Terry Bleu, Amsterdam, 2023 (self published in commision by Schunck, Heerlen)
—— 'TEMPLES FOR THE UNBELIEVABLE', published and printed by Terry Blue, Amsterdam (2021)
—— 'THE GOLDEN HOUR', graphic novel, (2021) (self published)
—— 'THE THREE MAN', graphic novel, (2017) (self published)
Murals
—— 'Church Wear', Open Studio’s, Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam (2023)
—— 'Sideways Universe', SCHUNCK Glaspaleis, Heerlen (2023-2025)
—— Nest/Down the Rabbit Hole, Lowlands site, Arcadia (2022-2023)
—— 'FUTURA FANTASTICA', Collaboration with Gijs Frieling, Provinciehuis, Arnhem (2021)
—— 'HEELS FOR WHEELS AND A CAN OPENER IN A CAN', Derde Wal, Muur voor Talent, Nijmegen (2020)
Exhibitions
—— 'A Deeper Shade of Soul', H3h Biënnale, Oosterhout (2025) upcoming
—— Refresh #3, Amsterdam Museum, Amsterdam (2025) upcoming
—— 'Witte Nevel', Diepenheim Art Centre (2025) upcoming
—— 'Mythes en Mogelijkheden', Het Huis Van Het Boek, Meermanno Museum, Den Haag (2025 - 2026)
—— 'Dutch Horizons', Schiphol Airport, Wink, (2025 - 2026)
—— Art Antwerp, solo stand, Galerie Fleur en Wouter, Art Brussels, Antwerp (2024)
—— Ankhmania, solo exhibition, 1646, Den Haag (2024 - 2025)
—— ‘Het Museum van het Alsof’, 38CC, Delft (2024)
—— De Scheffer nominations, Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht (2024)
—— Open Studio’s, Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten (2024)
—— Unfair23, Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam (2023)
—— 'Aan de rand van de hemel: Visioenen', group show and commision, Museum Krona, Uden (2023)
—— 'Herbarium', Plaatsmaken, group exhibition Arnhem (2023)
—— Summerschool, VROOM, group exhibition Brussels (2023)
—— Open Studio’s, Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam (2023)
—— Pop-up exhibition LithoXXL, Nederlands steendrukmuseum, Valkenswaard (2022)
—— Editions, Unfair, Westergas Amsterdam (2022)
—— Outdoor installation, Hommelseweg Arnhem, commissioned by Plaatsmaken (2022)
—— Book Launch 'Temples For The Unbelievable', published by Terry Blue, Quintal Atelier, Offprint, Paris (2021)
—— Book Launch 'THE GOLDEN HOUR', Terry Bleu, Amsterdam (2021)
—— Book Launch 'THE GOLDEN HOUR', PARELS, Arnhem (2021)
—— Group exhibition 'To Riso Or Not’, TAC, Eindhoven (2021)
—— Group exhibition 'In Believe is Power', Expoplu (2020)
—— Prospects and Concepts, Art Rotterdam (2020)
—— Kunst op de koffie #5, Arnhem (2019)
—— Group exhibition 'FAITH MONEY LOVE', Arnhem (2017)
—— Group exhibition 'The Painted Bird, Dreams and Nightmares of Europe', Marres, Maastricht (2017) Short Residency
—— Herbarium, Plaatsmaken, Arnhem (2023)
—— Summerschool, VROOM, Brussels (2023)
—— Litho XXL, Make Eindhoven & Steendrukmuseum, Eindhoven Valkenswaard (2021)
—— Wobby Workout #1, Tilburg (2021)
—— To Riso Or Not, Wobby & Make Eindhoven (2020)
—— Artoll, Bedburg-Hau, Kleve, Germany (2013)
Other
—— Guest teacher Aki (ArtEZ), Enschede (2023)
—— Stadsarchief Amsterdam, tekenopdracht ‘Levensvatbare stad’ period Februari-August (2023)
—— Winterlab, Guest teacher ArtEZ, Zwolle (2021)
—— Illustrations Extra Extra Radio, in Collaboration with NTS Londen (2020-2022)
—— Arnhemse Nieuwe, presentation showroom Arnhem, Ontwerp Platform Arnhem and O-P-A, (2018)