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Marian Bajlenga is particularly fascinated by dots, lines and contours. By their rhythmic movements, but also by the empty space they delimit. Instead of drawing on paper, the artist draws in space, using textiles as her material. She works mainly with thread, fabric and horsehair, but also with fish scales and parchment. Materials that are soft, light, flexible and open to endless development.
Transparency is a prerequisite for her. By leaving some space between the structure and the wall, the object is freed from its background and interacts with the white wall. It becomes what the artist calls a “spatial drawing“.
Exhibitions and art fairs
2024:
– Art on Paper, Amsterdam, Netherlands
– Spring art in the barn, Browngrotta Arts, Wilton, USA
– Water, waves, ripples: Water as a source of inspiration, Gallery Handwerk, Munich, Germany
– KUNSTRAI, Gallery Franzis Engels, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2023:
– Ook hier glijden de wolken voorbij, Gallery Franzis Engels, Amsterdam, Netherlands
– 10 years – Anniversary exhibition, Gallery Kellermann, Düsseldorf, Germany
– #OrangeTheWorld, Gallery Kellermann, Düsseldorf, Germany
– Zero 23, Gallery Kellermann, Düsseldorf, Germany
– KUNSTRAI, Gallery Franzis Engels, Amsterdam, Netherlands
– ACCLAIM !, Browngrotta Arts, Wilton, USA
– IMAGINE…, Ramakers Gallery, The Hague, Netherlands
– Geometry in Textile Art, Saxon Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
– Art on Paper, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2022:
– Winter exhibition, Gallery Kellermann, Düsseldorf, Germany
– Art the Hague, Gallery Ramakers, The Hague, Netherlands
– FLEXIBEL, Gallery Franzis Engels, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2021:
– Orange days – Zonta says no, Gallery Kellermann, Düsseldorf, Germany
– Cologne Fine Art & Design, Gallery Kellermann, Cologne, Germany
– Lost & Found, Gallery Kellermann, Düsseldorf, Germany
– Art the Hague, Gallery Ramakers, The Hague, Netherlands
– KUNSTRAI, Gallery Franzis Engels, Amsterdam, Netherlands
– Leer van Vis, Museum Spakenburg, Spakenburg, Netherlands
– Textile Art of Today VI, Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia
– Cool Gray Yellow C, Gallery Ramakers, The Hague, Netherlands
2020:
– Big Art N°5 Hemburg, Hembrugterrein, Zaandam, Netherlands
– Zomersalon, Gallery Franzis Engels, Amsterdamn, Netherlands
– Sommer20, Gallery Kellermann, Düsseldorf, Germany
– A DOODLE A DAY, Arti & Amicitiae, Amsterdam, Gerany
– For the Love of Art, Gallery Ramakers, The Hague, Netherlands
2019:
– Corona Archives, Nieuw Dakota, Amsterdam, Netherlands
– Structures!, Gallery Kellermann, Düsseldorf, Germany
– Art The Haque, Gallery Ramakers, The Hague, Netherlands
– Identity & Intersection, Browngrotta Arts, Wilton, USA
– Constellation: drawing in space, Honolulu Museum of Art, Hawaii
– COLLECT, Saatchi Gallery, London, United Kingdom
– FINDING FORM, FLOW Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2018:
– Attention Please, Gallery Franzis Engels, Amsterdam, Netherlands
– Art The Haque, Gallery Ramakers, The Hague, Netherlands
– Textile Art of Today, Danubiana Art Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia
– Art on paper, Gallery Franzis Engels, Amsterdam, Netherlands
– Alles Rund, Punkt Kreis Kugel, Gallery Handwerk, Munich, Germany
– Kleur & Abstractie | Generaties in Dialoog, Textielmuseum, Tilburg, Netherlands
– The eye is the center, De Ketelfactory, Schiedam, Netherlands
– Dutch Blue, Browngrotta Arts, Wilton, USA
– Asia-Europe III, Janina Marks Museum, Kedainiai, Lithuania
2017:
– Asia-Europe III, Museum of Textiles, Lodz, Poland
– Art The Haque, Gallery Ramakers, The Hague, Netherlands
– Libres comme l’art !, Museé d’Angers, Angers, France
– KUNSTRAI, Gallery Franzis Engels, Amsterdam, Netherlands
– Fibre & Form, FLOW Gallery, London, United Kingdom
– COLLECT, Saatchi Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2016:
– Is getekend, Gallery Franzis Engels, Amsterdam, Netherlands
– Colors of the Season, Gallery Ramakers, The Hague, Netherlands
– Amsterdam Art Fair, Gallery Ramakers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2015:
– LINKED SPACES, LaKaserna, Bad-Nieuweschans, Netherlands
– Amsterdam Art Fair, Gallery Ramakers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
– KUNSTRAI, Gallery Franzis Engels, Amsterdam, Netherlands
– Delicacies, Gallery Ramakers, The Hague, Netherlands
– PAPER IN DE HOOFDROL, Gorcums Museum, Gorinchem, Netherlands
– Art Breda, Gallery Franzis Engels, Breda, Netherlands
– TRAMES, Gallery Look&listen, Saint-Chamas, France
2014:
– PAN Amsterdam, Gallery Ramakers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Collections and museums
– LongHouse Reserve, New York, USA
– Museum of Art & Design, New York, USA
– Craftmuseum, Jyväskylä, Finland
– HOMA, Honolulu, Hawaii
– Museum Jean-Lurcat, Angers, France
– Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
– CODA Museum, Apeldoorn, Netherlands
– Dutch Textile Museum, Tilburg, Netherlands
Prizes and awards
2018:
– Grand Prix of the 5th Triennial of Textile Art, Bratislava, Slovakia
2010:
– Bavarian State Prize, Exempla, Munich, Germany
2002:
– Biennial Prize: 2nd International Tapestry Art Biennial, Beijing, China
1999:
– Excellence Award: 6th International Textile Competition, Kyoto, Japan
Marian Bijlenga studied at the Rietveld Art Academy in Amsterdam and has been invited to teach at renowned international academies such as the Kawashima Textile School, Kyoto/Japan, the Seian Art & Design College, Japan, the Aalto University School of Art and Design Helsinki, Finland and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, USA.
“I am fascinated by dots, lines and contours because of their rhythmic movement, but also because of the empty space they fill. Instead of drawing on paper, I paint in space and use textiles instead of paint. My materials are yarn, fabrics and horsehair – materials that are soft, light, flexible and suitable for endless further development. The suppleness of the textiles gives me the greatest possible freedom to achieve my goal: the discovery of new forms. By leaving a space between my works and the wall, the objects are freed from their background and interact with the white wall. They become spatial paintings.“
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