Marijke Janssen Nederland, b. 1951

Marijke Janssen (1951, Venlo) is renowned for her animal sculptures. Whenever possible, she takes a bit of a cheeky aim at these creatures. For instance, canaries may suddenly find themselves depicted in statues over one and a half metres tall, while other animals gradually get into their stride as they attempt to gain a foothold in an acrobatic manner.

On vintage porcelain lid dishes, which she collects carefully, Marijke creates animals from clay and porcelain slip. Then, she paints and glazes the figures, before putting the whole thing in the oven a third time to fire the gold lustre. The gold connects the dish to the animal and provides a sparkle. Shyly or triumphantly, the animals take their place on the dish. In addition to ceramics, Marijke also works with paper, plastic, and clay.

Marijke graduated in 1983 from the Willem de Kooning Academy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam. After her studies, she managed to build a rich cultural career. Her studio is located in what used to be the women's clinic of the WG site, the former academic hospital in Amsterdam. It may just be a coincidence, but could it be that the women's clinic inspires her to invariably include a little one with her animals?