Information




Shani Leseman (Curaçao, 1996)
Living and working in The Hague

Contact/sales:
info@shanileseman.nl


Central themes in my work are magic, rituals, and the object as bearer of meaning. I explore these subjects and (revived) wisdom I stumble upon during my training to become a witch, a practitioner of magic. The use of intuition and intention are, like in magic, important elements of my working method.


Supported by Mondriaan Fund


Exhibitions



Upcoming


14/12/2024 Bericht van de Duif  #2, Zuid. Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam
25/01/2025 Bericht van de Duif #3, Rotterdam
TBA, De Vishal, Haarlem

Current

until 16/02/2025 Boeken als..., Huis van het Boek, The Hague
until 01/2025 Bericht van de Duif,  Zuid. Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam



                                                                                                                                                                                Selection

2024 Unfair with No Limits! Art Castle, Amsterdam
2024 Performance My Guides & Me (w/ Trees Heil, Rik Mohlmann), OCCII, Amsterdam
2024 Swab Barcelona Art Fair with Tiny Art Gallery, Barcelona
2024 Alien, No Limits! Art Castle, Amsterdam
2024 The Future is Equal, Capital C, Amsterdam
2024 Maleficae, Budapest Galeria, Budapest
2024 Jan Koos Feylbriefs levensspiegel,  Seelab, The Hague
2024 Performance My Guides and Me (w/ Trees Heil, Rik Mohlmann),  Seelab, The Hague
2024 Festival Analog, Grafische Werkplaats, The Hague
2024 Symbiosis Series, duo with Isabel Cavenecia, POST Nijmegen
2024 16UP, 38CC, Delft

2024 Prospects, Art Rotterdam, Rotterdam
2024 Do for love | Offers, Museum IJsselstein, IJsselstein
2023 The wings, the ground, its feet, solo exhibition, Ateliers ‘89, Oranjestad, Aruba
2023 Performance My Guides and Me (w/ Trees Heil, Rik Mohlmann), Museum IJsselstein, IJsselstein
2023 Atemporal Hiccup, De Apotheek, Amsterdam
2023 De Grote Keramiekshow 3, No Limits! Art Castle, Amsterdam
2023 The Grand Palace of Everyone, Nest, The Hague
2022 When Things are Beings, Municipal Art Acquisitions, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
2022 Royal Award for Modern Painting, Royal Palace, Amsterdam
2022 *Magie*, duo show with GC Heemskerk, Nieuw en Meer / Projectspace Kate, Amsterdam
2022 Sterrentuin III / Garden of Stars III, The Hague, curated/organized
2022 Performance Ambre Solaire, Dizzy, Rotterdam
2022 Fundraiser/exhibition for cow sanctuary de Leemweg, W139, Amsterdam. In collaboration with GC Heemskerk & Trees Heil
2022 Performance Ambre Solaire, W139, Amsterdam
2022 Playing house, The Hague 
2022 SteC-NeXT, Melkfabriek, Den Bosch
2022 Performance Ambre Solaire, Submarine Festival, The Hague 
2021  The Party, De Blauwe Dwaas, Tilburg
2021 Sterrentuin II / Garden of Stars II, The Hague, curated and organized with Caroline Straver
2021 De Koninginnedag Tentoonstelling, Hgtomi Rosa, The Hague
2021 De man die twee mannen werd, duo show with Caroline Straver, Atelier Oh Nee, The Hague
2020 Rhythms of the Evergreen, DYAD, Amsterdam 
2020 Tiny Art Gallery, The Hague
2020 Sterrentuin / Garden of Stars, The Hague, curated and organized with Brigitte Louter, Siem Beets, Caroline Straver
2019  A good work will work,  Nieuwe Vide, Haarlem
2019 Performance Ambre Solaire, Itchy Tongue, Besturing, The Hague
2018 Graduation Festival, Royal Academy of Arts, The Hague
2017 The thing must fit under the seat in front of you, RÝMD, Reykjavik, in collaboration with Nikki Selser and Brigitte Louter
2017 Nokia’s Tagline, MOOOF, The Hague, curated by Samiha Awad
2017 Get Serious!, Oslo National Academy of Arts, Oslo, curated by Erla Audunsdottir
2017 Mothers’ Garage, various locations across Reykjavik
2016 The Shark's Pretty Teeth, Nieuwe Vide, Haarlem
2016 Walk this way, please, sir/madam, Gallery P, Vilnius, in collaboration with Saulė Noreikaitė
2016 To play in a loop, video screening, Kavinė Kultūra, Kaunas
2015 OTSEFINAM (MANIFESTO) or how to activate a fanzine,TENT, Rotterdam

Education

2014 - 2018 Bachelor Fine Arts, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague
2017 Exchange semester at Listahaskoli Islands, Reykjavik, Iceland


Publications


2024 Het Grote Duivenpamflet #1, in collaboration with GC Heemskerk, design by Marijn van der Leeuw
2024 Talismagic (self published) design by Denise Jansen
2024 Artists book Festival Analog, with Domenique Himmelsbach-de Vries, Feministische Handwerk Partij, Marcos Kueh, GC Heemskerk, Matt Plezier en Zeloot
2024 11 hands 11, in collaboration with Shanna M. Casey (self published)
2022 Milk is Murder, in collaboration with GC Heemskerk and Trees Heil (self published)
2022 Hooops collective, Plant Magic: Poison and Remedy
2021 Correspondence, in collaboration with Saulė Noreikaitė (self published)
2021 De man die twee mannen werd / The Man Who Became Two Men,  in collaboration with Caroline Straver, translated in English by Natasha Rijkhoff (self published)
2018 The Ritual of Art (self published)

Texts & Interviews



2024 Van vredessymbool tot plaagdier, De Groene Amsterdammer
2024 Help de stadsduif - Vroege Vogels Radio
2024 Intuïtie als drijfveer - Shani Leseman en Isabel Cavenecia bij Platform POST Nijmegen, Metropolis M
2024 Art Monday, interview for Munthe
2024 Prospects: de magie van Shani Leseman, for Avrotros by Robin Bosch
2024 Wat niet gezien kan worden, maar wel gevoeld, interview for Art Rotterdam by Wouter van den Eijkel
2023 Piseógs, talismannen en gefluister , Metropolis M
2023 Pleidooi voor de spelende mens, Museumtijdschrift
2022 When Things Are Beings, publication by Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
2022 Tubelight #122 Het ritueel is belangrijker dan de hogere macht, dialogue with GC Heemskerk
2022 Art as an exercise for gratefulness, interview for Jegens & Tevens by Petra Boonstra

Stipends / Nominations


2024 Mondriaan Fund Project
2024
Nomination Piket Prijs (Painting)
2024 Project investment Iona Stichting
2023 Stroom Pro Onderzoek
2023 Contribution Jaap Harten Fonds / publication Talismagic
2023 Contribution Stichting Stokroos / publication Talismagic
2022 Artist Start Mondriaan Fund
2022 Nomination Royal Award for Modern Painting
2021 Stroom Pro Invest


Other

2023 Residency Ateliers’89, Oranjestad, Aruba
2023 4 week-workshop for Arte den Bario, Oranjestad, Aruba
2023 Part of My Guides and Me, ongoing collaboration with Trees Heil & Rik Möhlmann
2023 Workshop Totem, Nest, The Hague
2023 Workshop Talismagic, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
2018 Part of band Ambre Solaire
2022 Workshop Creating from the core, in collaboration with Shanna M. Casey, Wildgroei, Delft
2022 Workshop Talismagic, Nest, The Hague