Leonnie van Eert

“Searching for connections between the earthly and the spiritual, I take inspiration from authentic tribal forms and customs, shapes from nature.”

Leonnie van Eert is a ceramic artist born in the Netherlands. Although she started her work as a ceramicist later in life, Leonnie was always interested and involved in various forms of artistic expression.

In 1997 she spent one year in Suriname to work with youngsters with a mental disability. Back in the Netherlands she worked at a center for asylum seekers, because she felt drawn to the diversity in cultures. In 2000 Leonnie moves back to Suriname, and starts working as a social worker and an artistic supervisor for special needs groups. She starts taking ceramic lessons from Soeki Irodikromo, who inspired her to develop her own style.

While searching for a connection between the earthly and the spiritual, she takes inspiration from authentic tribal forms and customs, shapes from nature, and from her work with special needs groups as well. Her work with the indigenous Trio community of Kwamalasamutu in particular, has left a lasting impression as well. In her mostly semi-abstract works she often incorporates other natural materials such as bamboo, jute, rope and seeds.

In 2018 work from Leonnie was included in the exhibition 6 x 6 Ceramic Tile, an exhibition in the IDB Staff Association Art Gallery in Washington DC. In 2019 the artist moved back to the Netherlands, where she will live and work for a few years.

Work Experiences

  • 2018: Participated in the exhibition “6 X 6 Ceramic Tile”, IDB Staff Association Art Gallery, Washington, D.C., USA with curator Rinaldo Klas
  • 2016: Two day Presentation at the Folk Academy of Soeki Irodikromo, Sana Budaya, Paramaribo, Suriname

Exhibitions

  • 2023 “Hakka Opera in Suriname”, Readytex Art Gallery, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2023 “Muddy Waters”, Readytex Art Gallery, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2023 “Beyond Bondage”, Readytex Art Gallery, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2023 ”Sarnami, Hai; Suriname, I am”, Readytex Art Gallery, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2023 CULTURAL CURRENTS: Miami meets Paramaribo, Readytex Art Gallery, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2023 ECOLOGY – 30 years Readytex Art Gallery, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2023 ”OPO YARI” curated by Kurt Nahar, Readytex Art Gallery, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2022 BIGI SPIKRI – Reflecting on the cultural and social significance of head coverings, Readytex Art Gallery, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2022 ”Lost in Nature” – art created with materials found in nature, Readytex Art Gallery, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2022 “UMA STEN” a group exhibition in which women speak, Readytex Art Gallery, Suriname
  • 2022 Atlantic World Art Fair 2022
  • 2022 “INGI STEN” a group exhibition in which spirits speak, Readytex Art Gallery, Suriname
  • 2021 UDUBAKI part one – an art event about servitude and spirituality, Readytex Art Gallery, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2021 “Nude beauty’” at Readytex Art Gallery, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2021 Manifesto group exhibition ALAKONDRE, WI TRU FESI, RAG, Suriname
  • 2019 TNF “Special Art Gifts”, Readytex Art Gallery, Suriname
  • 2019 TNF of July “Open House”, Readytex Art Gallery, Suriname
  • 2018 National Art Fair exhibition in Readytex Art Gallery, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2018 Special presentation about EMEGA project in French Guiana, Rinaldo Klas and Leonnie van Eert, Readytex Art Gallery, Suriname
  • 2018 25th Anniversary exhibition, Readytex Art Gallery, Suriname
  • 2017 TNF of October “Beastly”, Readytex Art Gallery, Suriname
  • 2017 TNF of August “Pe un’ moksi kon na wan”, Readytex Art Gallery, Suriname
  • 2017 TNF of March “Open House”, Readytex Art Gallery, Suriname
  • 2015 National Art Fair, DSB Bank, Paramaribo, Suriname
  • 2015 TNF of September “Leonnie van Eert”, Readytex Art Gallery, Suriname
  • 2013 National Art Fair, Paramaribo, Suriname
Artist works

Readytex Exhibitions