German artist Zoe De Caluwé's (they/them, b. 1997, Hamburg, Germany) diverse practice encompasses sculpture, painting, and found objects. They unite these different genres through a craft-based approach to their creative process. Informed by memory and emotion, they create consciously flawed and playful pieces that delve into themes of identity and anxiety, evoking a deep sense of melancholy.
When Zoe immigrated to the UK in their teens they learned English through informal conversation. In their artistic practice, akin to their experience of language, informal processes seamlessly intertwine with their unique vernacular, becoming integral to the essence of their work. While having an academically informed understanding of art history, their practice is rooted in experimentation rather than formal training.
Zoe undertook their Art History masters at Oxford University in 2022 and is now based in Margate. They have previously exhibited with Gallery at Home, House of Mabel, and The Lido Stores.
‘My work feels silent when everything is noise. It is formed by the interaction between control and chaos. While some aspects exhibit incredible delicacy, others possess explicit durability. I aspire to unsettle without sacrificing the thing that soothes.’
Upcoming Exhibitions:
Liminal Gallery - Solo Exhibition - August 2024 - Margate, UK
Margate Pride Art Map - 'I'm Nobody! Who are you?' - Solo Exhibition - August 2024 - Margate, UK
BIO/CV
Education:
2021-2022 MSt History of Art and Visual Culture, Oxford University
2015 - 2019 BA(Hons) Visual Media, London College of Communication
Group Exhibitions:
05/2024 'Always container, sometimes contained' - TRA Collective at Greatorex Street, London, UK
03/2024 'A Room of One’s Own’ - Irving Gallery, Oxford, UK
02/2024 ‘Untangling Rage’ - The Elegists, London, UK
12/2023 'Sugar Cube III' - The Lido Stores, Margate, UK
11/2023 Raffle for PCRF - House of Mabel, Margate, UK
2021 ‘Luminous Portraits’ - Gallery at Home, Wales
2019 IVM Degree Show - London College of Communication
2019 ‘Spore’ - Media Block UAL
2018 ‘New Horizons’ - London College of Communication
Talks and Published Work:
2022 ‘Overspill’ - Terrace Gallery
2018 ‘Human Form’ - Artefact
2017 ‘Human Rights Human Wrongs’ - The Photographers Gallery
Development:
2023 The Women’s Leadership Programme - Labour Women’s Network
2022 Micro-Internship - Four Crowns Sculpture Studio
2021 Writers Residency - The Artist Contemporary
2019 Craft Residency - Black Horse Workshop