About

The line is the beginning of everything. Working with clay gives me the ability to capture movement and freeze it in time. Transforming subtle natural shapes into ceramic sculptures which are a sensual fusion of form, feeling and motion.

Growing up in The Netherlands with its straight lines, organized landscaping and equal lifestyle, moving to the island of Curaçao in 1995, was the best thing I ever did. I immediately fell in love with the Caribbean atmosphere. An atmosphere that became a major theme in my work.

Nature with its soft flowing lines is my greatest source of inspiration and Curaçao has been a generous provider.

The waves of the ocean, the gentle blowing of the Eastern trade winds through the trees and plants, the shapes of shells, the variety in flora and fauna, the laid back lifestyle of the people: It inspires me endlessly.

My objects in most cases retain their natural coloring or are covered with a thin layer of engobe or glaze, so that nothing will draw the attention away from the suppleness of form and line.

Marlies Schoenmakers

February 28, 1961, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Solo/duo exhibitions

2021 Installation “Still life”, Het Curaçaosch Museum/Museo di Korsou (West Indië zaal)
2016 ‘Round Midnight’, Gallery Landhuis Bloemhof, Curaçao, together with Marcel van Duijneveldt (paintings)
2015 Xquisit Curaçao: exhibition of ceramic sculptures, together with Marie Lou Schoenmakers (paintings)
2014 Kunsthuis ‘Mooi voor thuis’, together with Marcel van Duijneveldt (paintings) and Nico Koster (photography), Amsterdam (NL)
2012 Terra’ MonArt Gallery, Renaissance Riffort, Curaçao, together with Mimi van Bindsbergen (paintings)
2010 ‘Sittin’ on the dock of the bay’, MonArt Gallery, Renaissance Riffort, Curaçao
2008 ‘Blue skies – Curved lines’, Gallery Pauw, Oisterwijk (NL), together with Marcel van Duijneveldt (paintings)
2006 ‘M-kwadraat’, Landhuis Bloemhof, Curaçao, together with Marcel van Duijneveldt (paintings)
2002 ‘Line and shape’, Carib Fine Art, Kurá Hulanda, Curaçao
2000 St. Elisabeth ZHS, Tilburg (NL)
1999 VPH De Hazelaar, Tilburg (NL)
1998 Akademia di Arte, Curaçao

Group exhibitions

2024 Open Atelier route Curaçao
2023 ‘Goodbye’, Gallery Alma Blou,Landhuis Habaai, Curaçao
2023 ‘Dynamics in ceramics’, Zanolino Gallery, Pietermaai, Curaçao
2021 Open Atelier route Curaçao
2020 ‘Unlocked’, Landhuis Bloemhof, Willemstad, Curaçao
2020 Opening exhibition Cathedral of Thorns, Curaçao
2018 Open Atelier Route Curaçao
2018 ArtX fundraising Lions Club Curaçao
2018 Sculpture garden Blue Bay Curaçao Golf and Beach Resort (permanent)
2017 ‘Isla den nos bida’, The Curaçao Museum, Mundo Nobo, Curaçao
2016 ‘Desaroya’, Landhuis Bloemhof, Curaçao, organised by Korpodeko
2015 ‘Imago Mundi’, Luciano Benetton’s global art project; Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, Italy
2015 Open Atelier Route Curaçao
2014 Elit-tile V, Trienal Internacional del tile ceramico, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
Received the “Mencion Insular Region de Caribe” with my tile “Striptease”
2014 ‘MonArt goes nuts’, MonArt Gallery, Renaissance Riffort, Curaçao
2013 Benetton Project “Imago mundi”, Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche; Curaçao selection shown at Landhuis Bloemhof, Curaçao
2013 ‘Back to Nature’, Landhuis Bloemhof, Willemstad, Curaçao
2012 ‘A breast or two’. MonArt Gallery, Renaissance Riffort, Curaçao
2012 ‘Through the eyes of Egberdien’, Landhuis Bloemhof, Willemstad, Curaçao
2011 Gallery Alma Blou: opening exhibition Open Atelier Route, Willemstad, Curaçao
2011 ‘Maskara,’ Landhuis Bloemhof, Willemstad, Curaçao
2010 ‘Antepasado di Futuro’, Het Curaçaosch Museum, Otrobanda, Curaçao
2010 ‘Elit-tile IV,’ Trienal Internacional del tile ceramico, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
2010 Pennings Inside, Eindhoven (NL)
2010 Kunsthuis ‘Mooi voor Thuis’, Amsterdam (NL)
2009 ‘Dependensia’, Landhuis Kenepa, Curaçao (NA)
2009 ‘Baby bèbè’, Fundraising project Rotary Club Willemstad, MonArt Gallery, Renaissance Riffort, Curaçao
2008 ‘End of the year exhibition’, MonArt Gallery, Renaissance Riffort, Curaçao
2008 Beeldentuin Interart, Heeswijk Dinther (NL)2008
2007 Kunstweek, Gallery Pauw, Oisterwijk (NL)
2007 ‘Let’s fight breastcancer’, fundraising on behave of the Prinses Wilhelminafonds, Gallery Alma Blou, Curaçao
2007 Summer exhibition Gallery Pauw, Oisterwijk (NL)
2007 ‘275 years Snoa’, Villa Maria, Curaçao
2007 ‘It’s all about women’, Gallery Alma Blou, Landhuis Habaai, Curaçao
2007 ‘Natura et Architectura’, kunstgroep Wassenaar, Galerie in de Molen, Wassenaar (NL)
2006 ‘Celebration’, Landhuis Bloemhof, Curaçao
2006 ‘Under construction’, MonArt Gallery, Renaissance RifFort, Curaçao
2006 ‘Arte bèbè’, Fundraising project Rotary Club Willemstad, MonArt Gallery, Renaissance Riffort, Curaçao
2005 ‘Lieve Koningin hierbij schenk ik U: Nos regalo real’, Landhuis Bloemhof, Curaçao
2005 ‘Huis van Oranje’, 25 jarig jubileum Koninging Beatrix, Carib fine Art, Kurá Hulanda, Curaçao
2004 Carib Fine Art – Kurá Hulanda, Curaçao
2004 ‘Inspiration’, Landhuis Bloemhof, Curaçao
2004 ‘Monumento habrí ‘, Villa Sixto, Curaçao
2004 ‘Kere den Arte’, Landhuis Bloemhof, Curaçao
2004 ‘De boog opnieuw gespannen’, Temporary Gallery Otrobanda Vieja, Riffort Village Curaçao
2003 ‘Laman 2003’, 50-jarig jubileum PBCF-NA, Riffort Village, Curaçao
2003 ‘Resusitá’, Riffort Village, Curaçao
2003 ‘Made in Curaçao’, Landhuis Bloemhof, Curaçao
2002 Art Festival Jan Kock, Curaçao
2002 ‘Pandora’s Box’, Gallery ’86, Curaçao
2001 ‘Mozaïek’, Gallery ’86, Curaçao
2001 ‘Pasa kontrami’, Gallery ’86 and Stroomzigt, Curaçao
2001 ‘I came by boat’ Curaçao
2000 Open Ateliers Reeshof, Tilburg (NL)

 

Commissions

2022 Art work 14 suites at the Renaissance Wind Creek Curaçao Resort
2019 ‘Hanging garden’, art work on ceiling (consisting of 500 hanging leaves) above check-in desks in the lobby of the Renaissance Wind Creek Curaçao Resort
2019 Art work for all 223 rooms at Renaissance Wind Creek Curaçao Resort
2019 Art work for entrance hall at Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort
2015 Madero Ocean club, Curaçao (wall sculpture)
2013 BPM Curaçao (bronze trofees)
2010 ORCO bank Bonaire
2009 HYATT Regency Hotel (now Sandals Royal), Curaçao

 

Publications/Brochures

Elit-tile IV Trienal Internacional del tile ceramico 2014, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.
Received the “Mencion Insular Region de Caribe” for my tile ‘Striptease”

Participant in art project “Artist in the world” by Andre Smits.

Newspaper Amigoe (Ñapa), ‘Kunst met ballen”, Hans Vaders, 21.04.2012

Curacao Classics – visual arts 1900 – 2010, autors Jennifer Smit and Felix de Rooy, published by KIT Publishers Amsterdam (NL), 2012

Elit-tile IV Trienal Internacional del tile ceramico 2010, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic

‘The Governors Mansion of the Netherlands Antilles: strolling along Antillean and Dutch works of art’, published by the Kabinet of the Governor of the Netherlands Antilles, 2008

Catalogue Interart 2008, Sculpture garden Interart, Heeswijk Dinther (NL)

‘Inspired by the Snoa’, MMVIII Mikvé Israel Emanuel Synagoge, 2008

Curaçao “Leve de kunst”, Kunstweek boek 2007/2008 (uitg. Stg. Kunstweek (NL))

‘Kere den Arte’, 2004, Landhuis Bloemhof. Porti Heru Publications, Curaçao

‘Laman 2003’, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds NA en Aruba; Jennifer Smit (curator)

Curaçao Dutch Caribbean Art Diary 2002 – 2013

Works in collection

Central Bank, Curaçao – Central Bank, St. Maarten – Governors’ Mansion, Curaçao – NV Stadsherstel, Curaçao – ORCO bank, Curaçao – ORCO bank, Bonaire – Maduro & Curiel’s Bank nv, Curaçao –  Van Lanschot Bankiers, Curaçao and several private collections.

Training

Free Academy ‘De groene Engel’, Oss (NL)
FAXX Platform for contemporary art, Tilburg (NL)
Akademia di Arte Kòrsou, Curaçao
Several workshops on relevant subjects