Photographer: Nicole Uniquole
‘Maintain a stain’
Turning stains into textiles
‘Touch is our first sense. Through touch we make art, claim our possession, who and what we love. We leave traces and find our place in the world; touch is how we connect’.
Lizan Freijsen is fascinated (attracted to) by materials that invite feeling. Mastering a technique, working manually, and experiencing resistance gives a different perspective on tactility.
Freijsen’s inspiration remains fungi, they transform waste like unusable oil and plastics into a fertile material, there is a circular process that potentially enables new life. It is her mission to translate these, to the eye, slow and invisible processes into a sensory experience, hoping to increase the appreciation for microorganisms, the world of ‘the small’.
She aims for awareness, reuse of resources and care for the immediate living environment.
After a time when distance was the norm and touch was axed, contact seemed like something to avoid. This work is an ode to the physical world, an invitation to feel and share in kindness.
CV
Born
19–03–1960, Zwijndrecht, NL.
Education
1987 – 1989: Jan van Eyck Academy, Maastricht.
1978 – 1984: Bachelor Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam.
2014 – 2017: Master Design Research W. de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam
Projects, fairs and exhibitions
2022
– ‘Matter Matters’, solo exhibition at NL=US Art gallery, Rotterdam
2021
– ‘Recycling valu’, duo show in Hilton Art Lab, Rotterdam
– ‘Fungi on stairs’, Masterly in Milan, installation in Palazzo Turati, IT
– ‘Fungal Wall’, commission ARTIS /Micropia Amsterdam, NL
– Art Rotterdam, international artfair in Van Nelle Factory, Rotterdam, NL
– Wanted Design NYC at ICFF, design fair in NY, USA
2020
– Groupshow, ‘Kleureyck’, Design Museum Gent, BE & Tripostal, Lille, FR
– ‘Precious paradise’ groupshow in Museum Rijswijk, NL
2019
– ‘Volta Basel’, duo show Pim Palsgraaf with NL=US art gallery, Switzerland
– ‘On organic Matter’, Commission Zuyderland ziekenhuis Sittard, NL.
– ‘Naturally’, groupexhibition, Pictura Dordrecht.
– OBJECT ROTTERDAM, fair in HAKA building, NL 2019
2018
– ‘UNFADED’, project with Pim Palsgraaf for NL=US Galery, Rotterdam, NL.
– Selection ‘Best made Books’ in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
– Fungi in blue, Installation for NY, commission of carpets and rugs.
– Installations at BOON – PARIS, during the Design Week Paris, France.
– FUNGI CARPET ‘Zomersneeuw’, Arboretum Belmonte, Wageningen, NL
– OBJECT ROTTERDAM, fair in HAKA building, NL 2018
2017
– Dutch Design Truman Brewery at LONDON DESIGN FAIR, London, UK
– Commission The Dunes, monumental carpet USA
– ‘The Living Surface’, installation & book at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam icw publisher JapSambooks.nl
2016
– ‘NO HOT WORK, In situ werk OBJECT Rotterdam, SS Rotterdam.
– Masterly during Salone Mobile, Palazzo Francesco Turati, Milan.
– Ventura NY, Wanted Design, Manhatten New York.
– D’Days at BOON Design, Paris
2015
– Salon/ D’Days Parijs, St Ouen, Frankrijk
– Commission ‘Treetrunk’, monumental carpet J. Kaufmann in NY
– OBJECT Rotterdam, SS Rotterdam.
– ‘Aire de repos’’, La Terrasse, Nanterre, Parijs, Frankrijk.
2014
– ‘Unter zwischen’, Ampelhaus, Oranienbaum, Dtsl.
– Salon Dantel, groupshow Istanbul, Turkije.
– ‘Schilderkunst Op Drift’, Solo Stedelijk Museum Schiedam,
– ‘Natuurlijk’, Installation in het Chabotmuseum, Rotterdam.
– OBJECT Rotterdam, DE ROTTERDAM.
2013
– ‘Salon BJ’, groupshow Design Week Being, China.
– Tuttobene 10 years in the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam.
– ‘King Size’, groupshow Ampelhaus, Oranienbaum, Duitsland.
– OBJECT Rotterdam, in Het Nieuwe Instituut/ NAI R’dam.
– Tuttobene, Salone mobile, Milaan, Italië.
– L’art dans les chapelles ‘2013’, Saint Trephine, Pontivy, Bretagne, Fr.
– MU ‘Small gestures’, groupshow Strijp S, Eindhoven.
2012
– ‘Use it again’ , Groupshow in the Ampelhaus, Oranienbaum, Germany.
– OBJECT Rotterdam, Las Palmas, Rotterdam.
– ‘Oranienbaum’, Dutch Design in Palace, Germany.
– ‘Kids 4 kunst’, Groupshow Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam.
– ‘L’art dans les chapelles 2012’, Saint Trephine, Pontivy, Bretagne, Fr.
2011
– ‘Fungi’, Installation in ‘Paddestoelen Paradijs’, Mediamatic. Amsterdam.
– ‘Growing archive’, solo in 38 CC Delft.
– ‘Salon 2’, Museum Van Loon, Amsterdam
– ‘The making of…’, summershow Textielmuseum, Tilburg.
Other activities
2000 – ongoing: Teacher / Coach / Coordinator, Fine Arts Department, Willem De Kooning Academy, Rotterdam.