Dorothy

Who are you? My name is Dorothy Wedderburn. British and, since last year, proudly Dutch.

Where are you from/where were you born?  I was born in northern Nigeria. Where I actually come from is more difficult to answer – my life has been quite nomadic, I grew up between Nigeria and England, then stayed put for a number of years in London before living abroad in various other countries. Since 1991 I have lived in the Netherlands. I think you could just say I’m a citizen of the world.

What do you make, and how do you make it?  For Zône I make mainly wearable art such as jackets and tops. But I also make art pieces, which I call ‘hangings’, for on the wall. Everything I make is unique and individual. My materials are old garments and fabrics which I find in second hand shops and brocant markets, or which are given to me. These I combine with new sustainable cloth such as bamboo, ecological cotton, tencel, and the ends-of-rolls which would otherwise be sent to the dump. Inherent in all cloth is the sense of a story, of how/who/where it was produced, and when I take a pre-worn garment apart I almost feel like an archeologist, I can really sense its history. Before making a new jacket, for example, I let the old one sit for a while on the tailor’s dummy, somehow speaking to me and letting me know what I have to do. When I actually start creating I always have an idea of the end piece, but I allow the actual process to lead me along…cutting, stitching, dyeing and screen-printing. At each stage something unexpected might happen which can lead me in another direction. That is the part I really love. Somehow you are having a conversation with your work.

How did you end up on this path?  I have always been drawn to cloth,which I love for its tactile qualities. My mother made most of her own clothes as well as mine, and when I was 5 an aunt gave me a miniature sewing machine. It actually worked and I copied my mother and made clothes for my dolls. I think my path was pre-destined.

At school we were taught the basics of ‘proper’ dressmaking. And there I also had an inspiring art teacher who introduced me to silk-screen printing, and used to take me shopping to buy suitable fabric to print on. She told me about art colleges and helped me to get a portfolio together. So I went on to study Fashion and Textiles at Ravensbourne College of Art and Design, in London. At that time it had just moved to new premises and was wonderfully equipped with a long print-table, a dye room, steamer, heat rollers, etc…. plus a really good technician.

Inspiration comes from everywhere. Art, architecture, what people wear, but also from more ephemeral things such as shadows and reflections. And of course nature is never-endingly inspiring in its patterns, colours and textures.

Do you do any other paid or unpaid work?  I have been lucky in that my whole life I have worked with textiles: in small scale printing companies, as a designer, as advisor, and as teacher. Most of the time I was also able to continue making my own work, and for the last 7 or 8 years I have been doing only my own work. It is very time consuming as I do everything myself.

How did you become a member of zone?  I was teaching at Het Koorenhuis in The Hague and a colleague, Martine Knoppert, was at that time a member of Zone. She asked me if I would be interested in joining. Initially I wasn’t as I thought I wouldn’t like being part of a group. But I put some work in the gallery on a sale or return basis, and coming into contact with the other members persuaded me that I should give it a try. That was 13 years ago, and I haven’t looked back!

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Being part of the Zone ‘group’ has given me so much. Thanks to the gallery you have somewhere permanent to display your work, and so to build up a clientele. And it gives you the freedom to do all sorts of things: meet clients; organize exhibitions; participate in exhibitions. The interaction with visitors is important, so many different people come in to the gallery to look, talk, and buy, and they come back again and again. Your colleagues are sounding boards for your work and ideas, and we also share the more mundane tasks of running the gallery. Last year, thanks to our joint efforts, and the support of loyal customers and the local community, we were able to raise enough money for a mortgage to purchase the gallery premises. With Zone’s 30^thbirthday coming up that feels good.

Long live Zone!

Who are you? Where are you from/where were you born?  My name is Marlies van Velzen and I am one of the three goldsmiths and four jewelry designers at Zône. I was born in The Hague.

What do you make?  I make jewellery. The materials I use are silver, gold, copper, enamel, formica and wood. My studio on the Prinsegracht in The Hague is spacious and light. A wonderfully inspiring and peaceful workplace.

 

What is your inspiration and how do you use it?  The circle.For me it is a complete shape to which you can still do a lot by bending, combining, turning it inside out, folding it, making a wide edge, a narrow edge – I could continue…                                                                                                                     For example, the Circle pendant contains three circles and the accompanying ring two.

Nature– my background in Biology?!But I want to add something.My aim is not to imitate nature exactly, or even almost exactly.The shapes that occur in nature inspire me to think further, to combine.What I’m trying to do is look at a familiar shape from a different angle.                                                          

The Tendrils series is inspired by the way climbing plants attach themselves to everything and thus cover entire houses, fences, etc.

Myrtle is inspired by the blueberry.Apart from the berry itself, I have reflected on the way it rolls – not nicely in a round shape – in the chain. Thinking up something is one thing, but realizing it is something else. With this chain, for example, I thought a long time about the link. It had to be flexible but also hold a certain shape.

How did you end up on this path, and what kind of training do you have?     I have done a number of different courses: Biology; Communication sciences; Chef; film and sculpture at the Vrije Akademy, The Hague; goldsmiths at the City Academy, The Hague; as well as  courses in Schoonhoven. And I worked for years with Phil van der Klundert, a sculptor from The Hague. In addition to technique, he taught me to really look, to see rhythm in artworks, to (endlessly) investigate shapes, to continue on a chosen theme/subject and to be inspired by what you have made.

Do you do any other other paid or unpaid work?  Besides Zône I work at ZonMw.

How did you become a member of  Zône?  Via Rina Ferreira-Papenfus. And I met Rina through a mutual friend. Before that I had heard of Zône from Jose den Hartog – a former member of Zône.

Would you like to say anything else?  Actually I want to ask something – what do our customers and visitors think of Galerie Zône? How can we make the gallery even better, more fun, more original? In short, why do you come to Galerie Zône and what do you hope to find there? I would really love people to let us know.So this is my invitation to email us your ideas – under the title: Zône, I think…!

 

 

who are you?
My name is Janna Geesink, 35 years old, and one of the three goldsmiths (four jewellery makers) in Galerie Zône.
 
where are you from / where were you born?
I was born and raised in Leiden and only left the city for a few years, during my education, when I lived briefly in Schoonhoven and in Gouda. I love this small, beautiful, historic and pleasant city. Which is why I still live and work here!

what do you make, and how do you make it?
In my workshop I work with my hands, using both craft tools and modern equipment, to make high quality jewellery, mostly from 14k gold, in all colour tints. New gold, ‘old’ or melted gold and fair-trade gold are all possible with me. I also work a lot in silver and with fine gemstone beads in a variety of colours (calm and earthy or even playful and cheerful). For my own work I only use my own designs and I like open, playful shapes with fine lines, rough and subtle textures and special details. A piece of jewellery must be comfortable, easy to wear and easy to combine with your clothes. The jewellery I like best contains a combination of restful, clean and organic lines. I really like to carry out experiments whereby I don’t know in advance what will happen. That is where the most surprising designs arise.
I do also work a lot to commission, for example making wedding rings, ‘old gold’ and presents, for which my own collection is often the starting point.

 
how did you end up on this path?
Via an earlier study, Archeology and Prehistory, at the UvA, and a number of pottery courses, I discovered that I am more of a maker and designer than a bookworm! Design, technique and the material used in the goldsmith’s trade attracted me.

 
what is your training?
I followed the course to become a Goldsmith/entrepeneur at the Vakschool Schoonhoven. And I continue to learn through self-study, discussions with colleagues in my profession, looking closely, and above all by constantly doing and trying new things.
 
what inspires you? 
My inspiration is everywhere. In the city, nature, physical shapes or man-made objects from the past and the present. Lines, shapes and textures are everywhere and sometimes something stands out! It’s never the same, it simply adds to what is already there.

do you do any other paid or unpaid work?
Besides my work as a goldsmith I am also a volunteer at Vitalis Maatjes. You’ve probably seen the advertisements in the city. You become a buddy to a child, or young person, who needs extra support for a while. For the last one and a half years I have been a buddy to an eleven-year old girl. It is great fun, though sometimes also difficult, you are a listening ear, and a helping hand, and we laugh a lot. And… buddies are still badly needed, both during and after corona times!
  
how did you become a member of Zône?
I had a small studio/shop just around the corner from the gallery, and I knew Frida van der Poel from Leiden, we would cross each other’s paths at art and craft markets in the city. When I wanted to swap my studio/shop for a different way of working I immediately thought of the combination of a separate workshop with the gallery. Thus!
 
would you like to say anything else?
The gallery occupies a special place in the city. For example I find it nice to notice that people come in to ‘recharge’ themselves and to breathe in a bit of art, and often spontaneous conversations take place that leave you both feeling good. It’s also really nice when a customer finds something they love and buys it for him-self or as a gift. Zône is more than a gallery or a shop, it is a platform and a collective, and there is constant interaction. It feels good to belong to this, and to be able to add my bit.

https://jannageesink.nl/

who are you?
My name is Mariska Eyck
 
where do you come from/ where were you born?
I was born in Heerlen, in the South of the Netherlands, and lived there until I was 11 years old. We moved to Rijswijk because of my father’s job in The Hague. I have lived in Leiden since 1986.
 
what do you make (and how do you make it?)
I paint, draw and make collages. I use several techniques in one piece. I love working on paper. Usually I scan my work on the computer and then rework it. I love seeing my work in print. I mostly make colorful, happy art, but I love it when there is some double meaning to it.
I try to publish my work on my blog at least 4 times a week. It tends to be art I made that day or the day before. I think of my blog as a column and I also name it ‘The (Almost) Daily Art Sparkle’. 
Besides working on my blog I make paintings, murals and I love to paint furniture.

how did end up on this path?
Since I was a little kid I have always drawn. They say that I even made art on the sheets of my bed. Drawing is for me like breathing. I can’t live without it.
 
what training do you have?
Oh my, that question is always a bit difficult.
Our parents took us to museums when we were young. I remember going to the Art museum in The Hague very often. I loved it a lot.
Also my father worked in Metz&Co in The Hague, which was an artful department store, selling furniture, bold fabric and more. They worked a lot with artists and designers. From my 13thbirthday on I went to work with my father every Saturday. He always told me a lot about what happened there and about the things to be seen in the shop. Although I didn’t realize it at that time I think it had a big impact on me.
In high school I was always to be found in the art department.
All that conceals the fact that I don’t have a formal training as an artist, although I went to the Free Academy in The Hague for a while.
And last year I did a surface design course.

what inspires you?
I guess inspiration can come from everything, from a colour or a form that catches me. But mostly it comes from inside, I guess, out of the whirlpool of informal training I have as an artist.
I usually start by making random lines and forms. There is no goal, no plan. I try to keep working in a sort of dreamy mood for some time, listening to inner voices, associations. At a certain moment the piece seems to take some form and meaning, which I then investigate and work on. In the end the art is always about something that is going on inside of me, whether I am fully conscious of that or not. In that way it can happen that work refers to things going on in the world as they affect me. For instance, at this moment I have a series on my blog called ‘The Corona Chronicles’.

do you have another paid or unpaid job on the side?
No, two years ago I stopped working on my other jobs. Before that I worked as a doctor/therapist/coach for families with children with complex problems. I also worked as a leader for group peer reviewing sessions for medical doctors.
 
how did you get in involved with Galerie Zône?
I was always very impressed by the gallery. In 2002, after long and serious doubts about my own capacities, I dared to show them my work. I was accepted for an exhibition there. And after that I had more. At this moment my project ‘happy art card’ is in Galerie Zône. Starting 2020 I wanted to make a postcard every two weeks, that would be available for free. The corona-crisis slowed down the process. But now that the gallery is open again, I will also restart the project. 
 
is there anything else you want to say?
I always look at Galerie Zône with admiration. It is such a great concept and it is so good for art, artists and Leiden that they exist. I get very inspired by a visit there. It is also great that they now really own the place. So, good luck to you, Galerie Zône!

www.mariskaeyck.com

My name is Piet Holtmaat and I make light objects with a story under the name “Piet Brummelbos illuminated art”. 
After a career in healthcare and business I was able to intensify my passion, creating unique lighting objects.

 

 

The basic material of my creations consists of wood that comes from the Twickel estate near Delden and wood that is released during the restoration of old buildings. This in combination with mouth-blown glass and metal. Whether the objects are grouped under applied art, functional art or industrial art is not important. My goal is to create unique light objects from nature that provide “lighting” to all who like it.
All works are “signed” with a metal burr, because “Brummelbos” is the nickname of our family and literally means “blackberry bush”. This also explains my “working name”.

Galerie Zône 
Galerie Zône accidentally crossed my path over a number of years, and I am very grateful to them that I can exhibit there with various light objects.

https://www.pietbrummelbos.nl

who are you?
Frida van der Poel. I am a self-producing furniture designer and have been travelling this path with my love for almost 40 years.

where are you from / where were you born?
I am from Zoeterwoude and I was born in Leiden.

what do you do and how do you make it?
I make furniture and objects. Always 3-dimensional work. I work mainly with wood, either straight from the tree or with sheets of planks. Processing a tree from your own garden or street can take up to 5 years. First the trunk is sawn ‘with the wind’ by a traditional wind-driven sawmill, such as ‘De Heesterboom’ in Leiden, into planks or beams. These then need time to dry gently. Using my sketch drawings as a guideline the piece of furniture is made on a scale of 1:1 in my workplace and then created in reality.

how did you end up on this path / what is your education?
Hmm how did I end up on this path. After a period wandering through Greece and West Africa I returned to Leiden. In the meantime, the Cooperative Association “DE KLOS” had established itself in Zandstraat. They had a wood workshop there where I felt at home. After three years of self-taught work, I went to the vocational furniture-making school in Amsterdam (this is now the HMC Amsterdam/Rotterdam). There I gained my basic knowledge of the trade which I still use in my daily practice.

what inspires you?
My surroundings inspire me. Movements people make, movements in nature. The imagery of words and shapes. The stable that is my workspace with its periodic methane vapours that can sometimes give me almost spiritual highs.

do you do any other paid or unpaid work?
No, there is no time for that. I live from making my own furniture designs which I exhibit in various places including Milan. At present some of my work is on show at the Silvermuseum in Schoonhoven as part of the exhibition “Boudoir” which continues until 15 November 2020, although unfortunately it is closed to the public at the moment.
I also work to commission to fulfill people’s specific wishes – there are many possibilities. And we run our own gallery which also demands a certain ammount of input.

how did you come in contact with Galerie Zône?
In 1990, when I was still at the furniture-making school, the furniture makers who were then working in “DE KLOS” asked me if I wanted  to participate in establishing a gallery for applied arts in the centre of Leiden. I wanted to.
Other designers and therefore also other disciplines together in one space, can only reinforce each other. Your product is permanently visible and tangible to the public.
In October 1990 the association was founded and in January 1991 the gallery was opened with a big party. The rest is history.

do you want to add anything?
Yes I want to say that having an affordable studio/ workspace is essential for your personal and creative development, which in turn you need in order to further develop your work skills. And it is also essential to have a  place where you can show your work under favourable conditions.
And my motto comes from the Czech Cubist Janák who wrote this in 1910:
“If the design focuses on art, it will automatically become useful”.
 And…. stay healthyA

 

www.fridavanderpoel.nl

Who are you and where do you come from?
My name is Rina Ferreira-Papenfus and I am the owner of Papenfus Design. I was born and raised in the South African countryside, but have been living in The Hague for the past 22 years. I have my work studio in the attic of my home, where I spend many happy hours.

What do you create and how do you do it?
I make jewellery – mainly from gold and silver. I design and make new pieces, but I also work on commission, for which I often use the old gold of the commissioner.
I use all goldsmith techniques when I create my pieces – sawing, soldering, polishing and many more. The magic of goldsmithing lies in the fact that you experience how wire or sheet changes shape under your hands. You submit the hard metal to your will and experience how it changes form until something unique emerges.

Can you describe your work?
My jewellery pieces are often bold with clean lines, but I also find it satisfying to do intricate work like filigree. My work is characterised by contrast. I use, for example, black oxidised silver combined with gold, matt surfaces combined with shiny or roughened surfaces combined with smooth.  My pieces are often a-symmetrical. I sometimes add specks of colour through the use of gem stones, enamel or resin. Pearls often form part of my design because I love their organic feel.

What made you decide to become a goldsmith and did you study for it?
I never liked off-the-shelf jewellery and for many years I sketched jewellery and had it made, but I often found them just not “crooked” or “rough” enough to my liking. Thus, when I saw an exhibition of a hobby course for goldsmithing at the VAK in Delft some years ago, I was sold. However, I soon found out that I wanted more and therefore I decided to enroll for the official Goldsmith Diploma course in Schoonhoven. This is a choice that I have never regretted – I have found my passion.

Where do you get your inspiration and ideas from?
I get my inspiration from my surroundings. I always walk around with my eyes and ears wide open. Sometimes I get inspired by minute moments in nature, like the unfolding of a fern leaf, and sometimes I get caught by the majestic moments in nature, for example the untamed Norwegian landscape. Song texts and word pun could also lead to a new series.

Do you do any other work on the side?
Back in South Africa I was a teacher and in The Netherlands I worked as a language trainer Business English. I continued doing this until two years after I had received my Goldsmith Diploma. However, I discovered that teaching did not leave enough peace and quiet in my head to get the creative juices flowing and therefore I decided to focus entirely on my jewellery line. If I am not stuck behind my work bench, you could find me on the water. Apart from jewellery making, my other passion in life is rowing.

How did you end up at Galerie Zône?
A goldsmith colleague who is befriended with Dorothy Wedderburn told her about me and when an opening for a goldsmith became available, she invited me for a meet up with the members of Zône. I was accepted and have been a member for the past four years.

Would you like to add something?
I am so happy to be partof Galerie Zône. I find the interaction with my colleagues inspiring and the contact with the Zône clients uplifting. May we all get out of this crisis healthy. I look forward to be back in Zône again.

https://knapgemaakt.nl/papenfus-edelsmid-design/

who are you?

Frans beelen, I have been a member of  Zône since 2008. 
where are you from/ where were you born?

I was born and raised in Weert (Limburg).

what do you make, and how do you make it?

I make jewelry, with textiles as the main ingredient. This makes my jewelry light and comfortable to wear.  As well as textiles I use other materials such as (semi) precious stones, shells, wood and other found materials, and glass beads. Textiles and beads need to be sewn. As for the stones, I either grind and polish them myself, or leave them purposefully rough to show off their natural gleam and glitter. Often I will saw off the back and edges of the piece of stone I want to use to ensure that it is as light as possible in the jewelry. I often cut the shells to size as well. By polishing only parts of them they can become very special.

how did you end up on this path?

I have been making and selling my jewelry since 1970. The first pieces I made – in the 1970’s – were from metal, for ankles, (upper) arms, head, neck, wrist and fingers. They were large and sturdy and I realized that this made them heavy and therefore uncomfortable to wear. I started to look around for other materials which would be more wearer friendly yet have the same robust effect. After trying wood, leather, and wire I ended up with textiles. My jewelry is striking and colourful, but also easy to wear. I want each piece to be unique, and to have it’s own character.

 

 

what kind of training do you have?

Originally I trained as a Handicrafts teacher, and I also studied for a year at the Rietveld Academy. I am still learning now as every piece of jewelry I make shows me the way to the next one.

what inspires you?

My inspiration comes mainly from the material itself: colour, shape, structure.. hard/soft.. thin/thick.. transparent/opaque.. rough/smooth.. it is precisely these contradictions that challenge me to form a unity that did not exist before. What also helps is the enormous chaos in my studio: it offers insight to combinations that I would not otherwise think of. Other sources of inspiration are Art Nouveau and ethnic jewelry, as well as furniture, buildings, and nature.

 

do you do any other paid or unpaid work?

I am now retired, but before that I was a Handicrafts teacher, Creative Therapist, and teacher. I also had a small practise as a supervisor.

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how did you find Galerie Zône?

In 2008 I was asked – through my website – if I would like to become a member of Zône.

 

would you like to say something else?

As an artist I enjoy being a member of the Zône association. Through this I have colleague’s to spar with. And not unimportant: because there are 11 of us we can run the gallery – we take it in turns to be in the gallery, and as we work in different disciplines  so we attract a varied clientele. Each artist has the opportunity to interact with the customers, but also has time to create new work. I find it an ideal concept! And, as it turns out, a viable one: in January next year Zône will have existed for 30 years!!

Together we can expand our activities in the art world. Through our gallery we can offer other artists the possibility to exhibit their work, and it enables us to participate in, and organize, other events which as an individual would not be possible.

 

http://www.fransbeelen.nl

Who are you?
Anna Rotteveel and I have lived in Rijpwetering all my life. I remained living here with pleasure because it is a green, wetland environment. The Green Heart. And it is very near the city and the beach.

 

What do you make (and how do you make it)?
I make Custom clothing and Art with textiles. You can translate that into one word, Couture. First you try and find out what the customer wants, then we look for a fabric and we take measurements. I do think that a garment should suit the customer, both in color and model. I was brought up with sustainability, so I prefer beautiful timeless natural fabrics. A lot of manual work is involved, which I love. Slow clothing.

 

 

How did you choose this path?
Probably because I like to make things and try something new every time. My mother’s fault for not allowing me to go and study at college.

 

 

What kind of training do you have?
Vocational school for clothing, where I had some inspiring teachers who gave me a solid education both technically and artistically. Although I do think one is born with the latter. For 22 years I worked for a fashion designer who gave me the freedom to try out everything I had never done before. He himself was trained as a milliner/decorator and so I also learned that skill from him.

All my life I have studied from books and museums about the care and expertise with which clothing was made in the past.

 

 

What inspires you?
All the beautiful clothes and shapes that you encounter in life. Both in nature as in good designs from the past. Shapes are repeated everywhere. In water, stone, plants, architecture and landscapes.

Do you have any other work?
Yes. I teach and I have a lot of maintenance on my house and garden.

How did you find Gallery Zone?
The longest standing member of the gallery asked me to join, because of my sustainable collection of clothing and hats made from from sheep’s wool from the Green Heart. Leiden is historically a wool city. This wool is still amply available but unfortunately production of good quality thread and fabric is no longer possible in the Netherlands. This is a dream for the future. Who wants to help?

Would you like to say something else?
Yes, people buy too many synthetic clothes which are uncomfortable to wear. You are too hot or too cold and therefore the heating is often too high. They need to be washed too often because they stink. And then they disappear into the waste bin and into water. Also I find that many people are not critical enough about fit. Price is more important to them than quality. Stop carrying plastic bags.

https://www.annarotteveel.nl