BIOGRAPHY
EXPLORING WANDERER
Adriaan Rees (1957, Amsterdam) lives and works in China and Amsterdam. Rees is famous for his large-scale projects and assignments for public space. He makes sculptures and installations in many materials such as ceramics, bronze, glass, textiles, plaster and stone. He also works with photography, video
and performances.
When he works with clay, traces of his hands and the use of extreme power can easily be seen at the surface. He is approaching his sculptures almost as a landscape or a human body, sometimes in a sensual, sometimes in a brutal way. He is an artist who is not predictable, someone who always surprises with new ideas and approaches, a cosmopolitan artist.
Exploring wanderer, 2015
From 2000 Rees increasingly travelled to Asia, specifically to Japan, Korea and China. He is intensely affected by these cultures and settled in Jingdezhen, China where he works in his own studio among the thousands of craftsmen locally.
Tradition and innovation, humor and seriousness, monumentality and intimacy, vulnerable and tough, traditional and contemporary, religion and war, fantasy and reality. All this you can find in his sculptures: it is a dialogue between cultural traditions like Europe and Asia.
His work can be found in collections around the world, in museums, private collections and in public space. Rees teaches in The Netherlands, Germany, Finland, USA, Japan and China and frequently gives lectures about his own work, art and art in public space.
He also works as an art advisor and curator. Since 2008 he is the initiator and project leader for the Exchange project 400 years Delft – Jingdezhen. This project brings artists, designers, archaeologists and museums from both cities together. Famous are the Blue Revolution shows in museums in Delft (NL) and Jingdezhen and Donguan (CHN). The shows attracted more than 40.000 visitors in Delft, more than 80.000 in Jingdezhen and more than 200.000 in Donguan.
Rees was the curator of these shows.
1986-1991
2004
2009
Gerrit Rietveld Academy, sculpture department
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Tokenomori, Institute for Ceramic Studies
Shigaraki, Japan
Inax Laboratory
Tokoname, Japan
Solo Exhibitions (selection)
Museums
2019 - 2020
2011
2010
2009
- Museum Beelden aan Zee, Scheveningen, NL
- Stedelijk Museum Kampen, Kampen, NL
- Total Museum, Seoul, Korea
- Inax Life Museums, Tokoname, Japan
2005
1999
1993
- Princessehof Ceramics Museum, Leeuwarden, NL
- Inax Museum, Tokoname, Japan
- Stedelijk Museum Zwolle, Zwolle, NL
- Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, NL
Galleries
2022
2021
2019
2017
2016
2015
2013
2012
2011
2010
- Kaneko Art Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
- KTO Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- Kaneko Art Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
- Heguang Gallery, Nanjing, China
- Livingstone Gallery, The Hague, NL
- Kaneko Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- Livingstone Gallery, The Hague, NL
- Kaneko Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- Livingstone Gallery, The Hague, NL
- Van Duyse Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
- Kaneko Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- C&H Art Space, Amsterdam, NL
- Willy Schoots Gallery, Eindhoven, NL
- 38CC Art Lab, Delft, NL
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2003
2002
2000
1998
1994
1992
- Willy Schoots Gallery, Eindhoven, NL
- Livingstone Gallery, The Hague, NL
- C-Space Beijing, Beijing, China
- Kaneko Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- Willy Schoots Gallery, Eindhoven, NL
- Livingstone Gallery, The Hague, NL
- Willy Schoots Gallery, Eindhoven, NL
- Livingstone Gallery, The Hague, NL
- Kaneko Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- RAM Gallery, Rotterdam, NL
- Kaneko Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- Kaneko Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- Embassy of the Netherlands, Tokyo, Japan
- Nederlandse Gasunie, Groningen, NL
- Casco, Utrecht, NL
- Van Kranendonk Gallery, The Hague, NL
Duo Exhibitions (selection)
2018
2017
2015
2012
2010
2008
2007
- Adriaan Rees and Gijs Frieling, Cultural Capital of Europe Leeuwarden, NL
- Adriaan Rees and Herman Makkink, SBK Gallery North, Amsterdam, NL
- Adriaan Rees and Sam Rees, SBK Gallery South, Amsterdam, NL
- Adriaan Rees and Alexander Ginter, Gallery M, Landau, Germany
- Adriaan Rees and Alexander Ginter, P13 Gallery, Heidelberg, Germany
- Adriaan Rees and Gijs Frieling, Art Amsterdam, Maria Chailloux Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
- Adriaan Rees and Theo Kemp, Achter de Weg Gallery, Dordrecht, NL
- Adriaan Rees and Alexander Ginter, P13 Gallery, Heidelberg, Germany
- Adriaan Rees and Alexander Ginter, P13 Gallery, Heidelberg, Germany
Group Exhibitions (selection)
Museums
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
- Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, NL
- Museum of Porcelain, Jingdezhen, China
- Princessehof Ceramics Museum, Leeuwarden, NL
- Princessehof Ceramics Museum, Leeuwarden, NL
- Museum Tiendschuur, Tegelen, NL
- Yuan Chonghuan Museum, Dongguan, China
- Prinsenhof Museum, Delft, NL
- Imperial Porcelain Museum, Jingdezhen, China
2009
2008
2005
2001
1997
- Stedelijk Museum Kampen, Kampen, NL
- Netherlands Ceramic Museum, Fu Ping, China
- Stedelijk Museum 's-Hertogenbosch, Den Bosch, NL
- Princessehof Ceramics Museum, Leeuwarden, NL
- Museum Beelden aan Zee, Scheveningen, NL
Galleries
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
- Coppejans Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
- Livingstone Gallery, The Hague, NL
- ArtCN Gallery, Shanghai, China
- Coppejans Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
- Coppejans Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
- Kaneko Art Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
- Livingstone Gallery, The Hague, NL
- Anningahof Sculpture Park, Zwolle, NL
- Livingstone Gallery, The Hague, NL
- Richz Gallery, Shenzhen, China
- Anningahof Sculpture Park, Zwolle, NL
- Schoots+Van Duyse Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
- Gerrit Rietveld Academie (Anniversary Show), Amsterdam
- Anningahof Sculpture Park, Zwolle, NL
- 38CC Art Space, Delft, NL
- Livingstone Gallery, The Hague, NL
- Schoots+Van Duyse Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
- Anningahof Sculpture Park, Zwolle, NL
- ArtCN Gallery, Shanghai, China
- Royal Palace Soestdijk, Soestdijk, NL
- Schoots+Van Duyse Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
- Livingstone Gallery, Berlin, Germany
- De Vis Gallery, Harlingen, NL
- Posthuys Gallery, Texel, NL
- Anningahof Sculpture Park, Zwolle, NL
- RAM Gallery, Rotterdam, NL
- Anningahof Sculpture Park, Zwolle, NL
- De Nederlandse Bank, Amsterdam, NL
- Schoots+Van Duyse Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2003
2000
1998
1995
1993
- Schoots+Van Duyse Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
- Livingstone Gallery, The Hague, NL
- Kaneko Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- Anningahof Sculpture Park, Zwolle, NL
- Schoots+Van Duyse Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
- C&H Art Space, Amsterdam, NL
- Pulchri, Den Haag, NL
- Maria Chailloux Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
- Van Duyse Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
- Maria Chailloux Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
- Maria Chailloux Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
- A.A.C.A. Synergy, Inax Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
- 2 Cities Gallery, Shanghai, China
- W139 Art Space, Amsterdam, NL
- CAFA Gallery, Beijing, China
- Garth Clark Gallery, New York City, USA
- China Ceramic Council, Foshan, China
- Moscow Forum of Art, Moscow, Russia
- RED Centre, Dordrecht, NL
- Sculpture in the Little Forest, Ranaana, Israel
- Contemporary Art Centre, Moscow, Russia
- Oude Kerk, Amsterdam, NL
Art fair
2021
2019
2016
2015
2014
- Shanghai Art Fair, ArtCN Gallery, Shanghai, China
- Art The Hague, Livingstone Gallery, NL
- KunstRAI Amsterdam, Livingstone Gallery, NL
- Dutch Design Week, Shanghai, China
- PAN Amsterdam, Livingstone Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
- PAN Amsterdam, Livingstone Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
2013
2011
2008
2007
2003
- PAN Amsterdam, Livingstone Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
- Art Amsterdam, Livingstone Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
- PAN Amsterdam, Willy Schoots Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
- Art Cologne, Willy Schoots Gallery, Koln, Germany
- MIArt, Piercarlo Borgogno Gallery, Milano, Italy
- Ceramic World Biennale, Icheon World Ceramic Centre, Korea
2022
2021
2014
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2004
- High Tea, sculpture for store, Amsterdam, NL
- Oh Johnny, sculpture for drugstore, Amsterdam, NL
- Circus Svea, sculpture for roundabout, Schiedam, NL
- Street lamps, sculpture for Delft, NL
- The Monkey, community art project for Leiderdorp, NL
- community art project for Enkhuizen, NL
- sculpture for roundabout, Amsterdam, NL
- Fabriek, sculpture for Hoogersmilde, NL
- Hanging sculptures for Maassluis, NL
- Boom van Hippocrates, sculpture for Amsterdam, NL
- community art project for Amsterdam, NL
- Neptunis, sculpture for Pijnacker-Nootdorp, NL
- Carillons, sculpture for Heerhugowaard, NL
2003
2002
2001
2000
1998
1995
1994
1993
1992
- sculptures for State University of NY, Fredonia, USA
- Apenluiders, fountain sculpture for IJsselstein, NL
- Boog, sculpture for Aa and Hunze, NL
- sculpture for Embassy of the Netherlands, Tokyo, Japan
- design for town square at Nieuwkoop, NL
- design for sculpture forest at Ursula, Nieuwkoop, NL
- Big Ear, sculpture for Raänana, Israël
- Signum Omnicalus, sculpture for Almere, NL
- De Steenhouwer, sculpture for Gouda, NL
- sculpture for University of Amsterdam, NL
- Windmill, project for Zoetermeer, NL
© Adriaan Rees, 2016-2022. All rights reserved.