Born
1985 in the Netherlands
Artists
Kavelaars
Merijn Kavelaars began his journey as an artist from a very young age. As a child, he doodled, drew and created images which became a naive pictorial language of communication. Growing up his father performed as a clown, Kavelaars transformed his doodles and drawings into illustrative posters for his fathers’ shows. Kavelaars work has become a refined visual language. He describes his intention as “creating a world I can get lost in.” He wants “to be able to look at it endlessly, discover new meaning, fantasize and reflect on it.” Kavelaars aims to create works where the meaning is endless and with each viewing, a new meaning is discovered, the art speaks for itself. He creates works that merge site-specific installation, painting and sculpture.
Kavelaars has developed a distinctive style which is defined by experimentation with line, bursts of vibrant colors and organic shapes. The aesthetic is formed by Kavelaars unique ability to subconsciously apply an intuitive self-taught practice to arrange shapes and color, which combined, creates a visual sense of movement and diversity. Kavelaars uses colors that illuminate off the canvas and lines that encourage the audience to interact with the energetic and playful subject matter.
2023 2021 2020 2019 2018 2016 2015 2012 2011 2010 2024 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 MOMA Hybrid, Peking, China
Solo Exhibitions
Tache Tache Tache, Coachhouse61, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Soms, Atelier Kavelaars, Waalre, the Netherlands
My Dogma Art Chapel, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Wangsim showroom taken over by Merijn Kavelaars, K11, Shanghai, China
KAV54, Wangsim & V54 Artsit in Residence, Hong Kong
Bursting Bold, Lucie Chang Fine Arts, Hong Kong
Untitled, Vista+ Gallery, Tehran, Iran
No Good Can Come from This, No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
No Gloves, Curated by Emmelie Koster, Shanghai, China
Sous 623, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Opening Gallery Kavelaars, Magna Plaza, the Netherlands
Vitrine Vijzelstraat, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsGroup Exhibitions
Matter Matters, Yours Truly Art Collective, Jiuba space by No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Form and Shape, Wangsim, Hong Kong
NMAG CDMX, No Mans Art Gallery Pop-Up, Mexico City
Atari, Jiuba art space by No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Box Sol, Yours Truly Art Collective, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven
NMAG 10 years, No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Path to an Enchanting Seclusion, Xinqiao Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Where the sun goes down, No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Growth, ART LABOR Gallery, Shanghai, China
Wanderings of the mind, Ron Lang Art, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Edge Water, LLND Studio, Shanghai, China
Shanghai Dream, ART LABOR Gallery, Shanghai, China
Live paint performance, Dutch Consulate, Shanghai, China
Gallery/Studio Kavelaars, Amsterdam Central Station, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Three Knee Deep, No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Leslie Cheung, The heART Center, Paris
No Mans Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
The drawing hand, Magda Danysz Gallery, Shanghai, China
live paint performance for Dutch consulate, Shanghai, China
Kong Siwenli, Fireflies Gathering, Shanghai, China
No Mans Art Gallery, Cape town, South Africa
Wanderlust, Shanghai
Begin from chaos, Inna Contemporary Art Space, Hangzhou, China
Rauwer, Hutspot Gallery, Amsterdam
Nuit Blanche (Live paint performance), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Auction for Soong Ching Ling Foundation Charity Event, Shanghai, China
Grote 8 meets van Gogh, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Kyra & Merijn, NMAG & Secret 7 Gallery, Shanghai, China
No Mans Art Gallery, Shanghai, China
Auction for Soong Ching Ling foundation, Shanghai, China
Artistic Affairs, Walls Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
No Mans Art Gallery, Paris, France
Bead the poetry (Live paint performance), Dordrechts Museum, the Netherlands
Blue Jeans, Central Museum Utrecht, the Netherlands
When BlueBlood meets artists, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Kunst-10-Daagse, Stomperoren, the Netherlands
Live Paint, Dordrechts Museum, the Netherlands
Hot stuff, Walls Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
No Mans Art Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
Walls Gallery at AAF (Fair), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Hutspot Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Vrije vogels, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
PUP Amsterdam (Live paint performance), the Netherlands
On my way, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Virtine de ville, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Museumnacht, Amsterdam Museum (Live paint performance), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Collections
Cartier International SNC, business collection, Parijs, Frankrijk
Pejman Foundation, Tehran, Iran
China Soong welfare foundation, Shanghai, China
Alibaba Group, business collection, Hangzhou, China