About
Dewi Bekker is an interdisciplinary artist who explores the ambiguity of identity and the power of role-playing within social structures. She does this by moving back and forth between the recognizable, absurd and grotesque by using the human body, sculpture, masks, textile handicrafts, objects and performance.
Identity is a 24/7 performance where everyone writes a script for the 'I' where the role of the 'I' is fluid depending on the situation and the person you have in front of you. This self-curating of the 'I' shows that our perception of people and things is not an absolute or complete truth but that it is an interplay of pretensions and associations. This ambiguity of identity is a powerful tool through which we interact with others. She sees her work as an ode to role-playing through which she explores the absurdity and everydayness of the interplay between the role played, the spectator, the set and the props.
She is also co-founder of the collective Das Leben am Haverkamp. The collective Das Leben am Haverkamp is formed by four artists – Anouk van Klaveren, Christa van der Meer, Dewi Bekker and Gino Anthonisse.
CV
Dewi Bekker
b. 1990, Lives and works in The Hague (NL)
Co-founder of the collective Das Leben am Haverkamp (DLAH)
education/professional experience
2009-2013 Bachelor of Design, Fashion and Textile, Royal
Academy of Art, The Hague
2008-2009 Preparatory course, Gerrit Rietveld Academy,
Amsterdam
secondary activities
2021-current Advisor Project Subsidies, Amsterdam Fund for
the Arts (AFK), Amsterdam (NL)
2022-current Committee PRO Subsides, Stroom Den Haag NL
Selected exhibitions/shows
2023
Kunstpodium T, Tilburg (NL), Apprentice Master #2: Het Bloemetjesgordijn, 2-19 March 2023
Museum JAN, Amstelveen (NL), Ted Noten & co. - Over Waarde,
Quirky Cruise by DLAH, 4 Oct 2023 - 4 Feb 2024
Z33, Hasselt (BE), Fitting In, A Monument of Folly, 1 Oct 2022 - 26 Feb 2023
2022
PIP, The Hague (NL), PIP Expo: Do Geese See God? performative night in collaboration with Eilit Marom and Anouk van Klaveren, 7 Oct 2022
Design Museum Den Bosch (NL), group exhibition Sneakers Under Construction, 1:1 – an encounter between real and fake by DLAH, 11 June – 16 October 2022
Museum Kranenburgh, Bergen (NL), group exhibition Roaring Twenties, Quirky Cruise by DLAH, 17 Oct 2021 – 3 April 2022
2021
Das Leben am Haverkamp, The Hague (NL), Vier attracties, één kermis, 4-25 Sept 2021
Zuiderzeemuseum, Enkhuizen (NL), Must See, The Residents, 3 April – 24 Oct 2021
NEST, The Hague (NL), Out and About, 30 April 2021
Grafische Werkplaats Den Haag (NL), Analog, The Residue is Pitifully Thin, May – July 2021
2020
Quartair, Den Haag (NL) - Artist support fair, Geen bloem zonder wortel 25 Oct - 27 Oct 2020
Eight Cubic Meters, Amsterdam (NL) JOIN Collective Clothes photo exhibition 1 July - 22 Sept 2020
Billytown The Kitchen, The Hague (NL), Glory Collision curated by Atelier Oh Nee, 29 Nov 2019 – 29 Jan 2020
Le Signe - Centre National du Graphisme, Chaumont (FR) De Toutes Façons…,17 Oct 2019 – 22 March 2020
2019
Bureau Europa, Maastricht (NL), New Fashion Narratives - curated by Fashionclash Festival, 17 Oct – 3 Nov
Jan van Eyck, Maastricht (NL), Fashion after Flood - Taskforce Fashion, 3 – 6 Nov
Zeeuws Museum, Middelburg (NL) Zeeuws Museum x Das Leben am Haverkamp, 17 February 2018 - 10 June 2019
Zeeuws Museum, Middelburg (NL), performance Joe for the occasion of the finissage of Zeeuws Museum x Das Leben am Haverkamp, 8 June
Page Not Found, The Hague (NL), A Fictional Turn; Part 3, audio installation related to Zeeuws Museum x Das Leben am Haverkamp,24 May
Centraal Museum Utrecht (NL), Quirky Cruise as part of the permanent setup– Tromp L’oeil, starting April 2018
2018
Modemuze, Modemuze@OBA: Innovation, Quirky Cruise from Das Leben am Haverkamp, Amsterdam (NL) 18 May - 2 Sept
WYSIWYG invites Das Leben am Haverkamp, Grey Space in The Middle, The Hague (NL) 12 May
Quirky Cruise piece as part of the permanent setup - Tromp L'oeil, Centraal Museum Utrecht (NL) from April on
A residence that might remind you of that unique hotel in Magdeburg or that colourful gym where you used to train for tampon hockey, by Dewi Bekker and Anouk van Klaveren for art=ARTIS, ARTIS, Amsterdam (NL) 19 April – 26 August
HOW&WOW - cooperazione! by Crafts Council NL (work by Das Leben am Haverkamp shown) Salone del Mobile, Milan (IT), 17 - 22 April
Heden, Quirky Cruise, work by Das Leben am Haverkamp, The Hague (NL) 3 March - 7 April
2017
Winner (as part of Das Leben am Haverkamp), Dutch Design Award category Fashion
Nominee(as part of Das Leben am Haverkamp), Dutch Design Award category Young Designer
Dutch Design Awards exhibition (as part of Das Leben am Haverkamp), Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven (NL)
Dutch Design Week, preview Zeeuws Museum x Das Leben am Haverkamp, Eindhoven, (NL)
Uit de Mode, Quirky Cruise by Das Leben am Haverkamp, Centraal Museum, Utrecht (NL)
Pitch Black Photobooth by Eddie The Eagle Museum in collaboration with Das Leben am Haverkamp, Nest, The Hague (NL)
Fashion in Style, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, The Hague(NL) - Art direction of the exhibition with DLAH and participating in the exhibition with individual work
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam, Quirky Cruise, opening show by Das Leben am Haverkamp (NL)
Boom City by Fashionclash, Punch Punch and About Asia at Future Center, Chengdu (CHN)
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam, presentation of; A flag, stripes and a guy in green overalls, Future Generation presents Das Leben am Haverkamp (NL)
Tijdgenoten #2, curated by Glamcult, an installation by DLAH, at nightclub De School, Amsterdam (NL)
2016
Avondwinkel de Buren op 102, presentation of a publication by Das Leben am Haverkamp and Marsdiep, Amsterdam (NL)
Sempering, exhibtion of PLAAT in collaboration with qoowl, XXI Triennale di Milano International Exhibition, Milan (IT)
The Show-Off Show, Exhibition and showroom, initiated by DLAH presentation of ‘ The sun would not catch them on the road’, Paris Men’s Fashion Week, Atelier Neerlandais, Paris (FR)
2015
Granted PRO-Invest subsidy by Stroom Den Haag
GLAMCULT + SPRMRKT, SPRMRKT Amsterdam (NL)
presentation of Gefelicifashion- a performance by Das Leben am Haverkamp
Gefelicifashion by Das Leben am Haverkamp, Mercedez Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam, Future Generation, Amsterdam (NL)
2014
Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, performance and exhibition in de Tuinzaal with Das Leben am Haverkamp, The Hague (NL)
OBJECT Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NL) - Exhibition
2013
Modebelofte 2013 – Future Fashions, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven (NL)
Lichting 2013 supported by G-star RAW, show, Amsterdam Fashion Week (NL)
Graduation exhibition, The Royal Academy of Art, The Hague(NL)
Acquired works
2019 Collection Zeeuws Museum Middelburg NL, acquired two works, VS06_OB08 – totempole and VS24_OB22 – Bib of the project “Ik zie…ribbeltjes…hele spannende ribbeltjes”
2017 Collection Centraal Museum Utrecht (NL), acquired three works of Quirky Cruise by DLAH
Released publications
2021 Vier attracties, één kermis, Das Leben am Haverkamp, accompanies the solo exhibition series
2018 Zeeuws Museum x Das Leben am Haverkamp, Exhibition catalogue, edited by Das Leben am Haverkamp, published by Zeeuws Museum, graphic design by Studio Lennarts & de Bruijn.
2016 Spacetimewarp, A calendar questioning the concept of time, created by DLAH in collaboration with Marsdiep.
Awards and Grants
2022 Creative Industry Fund NL, Experiment subsidy
2020 We Are Public NL, In Art We Trust Fund awarded DLAH 2018 Stroom Den HaagNL, PRO-Premium, The Hague
2018 Creative Industries Fund NL, research funding awarded to DLAH
2018 Stroom Den Haag NL, PRO-Deo awarded to DLAH, mentorship by Bas Hendrikx
2017 Dutch Design Award – FashionNL,Winner (DLAH), Eindhoven
2017 Dutch Design Award – Young TalentNL,Nominee (DLAH), Eindhoven
2017 VolkskrantNL, Het talent voor 2018, fashion and design, 2ndprice (DLAH)
2014 Stroom Den HaagNL, PRO-Invest, The Hague
2013 Royal Academy of Art NL,Academy Award,Nominee, The Hague
Selected Press
2023
NRC (NL), Drie kunstenaars en een ontwerpcollectief maakten een imaginair parfum, image creation + interview, 4 May
2021
Kunst is Lang (NL) aflevering 173 – Das Leben am Haverkamp, 15 June
AVROTROS, NPO1 (NL) Nu te zien, 5 June
Trouw (NL) Hollandse toeristische trekpleisters met een twist, 29 May
Front Row (NL) publication of Consumptie by Das Leben am Haverkamp, a special for the members of We Are Public, March
2020
In Art We Trust (NL) Vier attracties, een kermis, article by Ben Terwel
FashionUnited (NL), De kracht van het ontwerpcollectief, interview by Natasja Admiraal, 4 August
Parool (NL), Iedereen kan mode maken, article by Edo Dijksterhuis, 3 July
De Grote Nederlandse Kunstkalender (NL), edition 2020, photo publication
2019
Jegens & Tevens (NL), Stroom Invest Interviews/artist Dewi Bekker, 13 May
Dream Journal (AUS), Issue Three, 5 May
De Grote Nederlandse Kunstkalender 2019 (NL), page 25 April
2018
NRC (NL), Vanzelfsprekend was de Amsterdamse modeweek nooit, 4 September
Mister Motley Salon (NL), Vier attracties, één kermis, 22 July
Flair (DE/AT), Kuchenkreation von Das Leben am Haverkamp, August issue
i-D Vice (US), meet the radical fashion collective making clothes you can eat, 24 April
See All This, Zeeuws Museum x Das Leben am Haverkamp, no.9, spring issue
Elle Decoration (NL), Salone del Mobile, April
NRC, Tentoonstelling, Op deze expositie moet je het zelf uitzoeken,14 March
Volkskrant, 16 culturele hoogtepunten van 2018, Cultuurtip 8, Originele ontwerpers aan de slag met impressies van museumbezoek, 5 Jan.
Glamcult, Das Leben am Haverkamp teams up with Zeeuws Museum, 16 Feb.
VPRO Nooit Meer Slapen, De Reismicrofoon, 15 Feb.
i-D Vice (NL), Das Leben am Haverkamp raakte geïnspireerd door Zeeuwse folklore, 6 Feb.
2017
Volkskrant V, Het talent van 2018, Mode en design, second place, 28 December (NL)
HP/ De Stijl, Alles Neu!, interview with Das Leben am Haverkamp, winter 2017/18 (NL)
Volkskrant, Dude is wat tijdschrift voor designers moet zijn: vooruitstrevend en elegant, 9 November (NL)
Dude, by BNO, Young Designer Award, herfst 2017 (NL)
Elsevier, Interview met drie kanshebbers voor Young Designer Award, 23 oktober (NL)
Viewpoint, Das Leben am Haverkamp - The fashion rebels, #40 (NL)
Metal Magazine, Das Leben am Haverkamp - Defying fashion as it is, October (ES)
NRC, review Amsterdam Fashion Week, 18 July (NL)
Nylon, Why We’re Obsessed With Amsterdam Fashion Week, 18 July (US)
Metro, Das Leben am Haverkamp opent Fashion Week, 14 July (NL)
Parool, Een schilderij om aan te trekken, 13 July (NL)
Elsevier, Kwartet van solisten in overrompelende show, March (NL)
Glamcult, Meet upcoming fashion designer Dewi Bekker, February (NL)
Fucking Young!, Das Leben am Haverkamp, January (ES)
NRC, 27 January, Nieuwe koers voor Amsterdam Fashion Week (NL)
Volkskrant, 31 January, Overdonderende shows van jong Nederlands talent (NL)
Parool, 26 January, Das Leben am Haverkamp opent Fashionweek met vier shows (NL)
I-D Vice, interview together with Das Leben am Haverkamp, January (NL)
2016
Pairs Project by Eclectic Magazine, #12 Welcome to Cathood, November (FR)
VULKAN magazine, editiorial with Sam Feldt, online (CA)
A Shaded view on Fashion by Diane Pernet, online, (FR)
Eclectic Magazine, Introducing: Das Leben am Haverkamp, January (UK)
2015
Playhaus Magazine, issue 5, editorial, print (US)
Glamcult, issue 8, #116, intro DLAH by Leendert Sonnevelt, print (NL)
LINDA. Wonen, nr 13, editorial, print (NL)
Beyond Man, Entities, editorial, online (IRL)
Lancia Trendvisions, Dewi Bekker adds a little spice and irony to menswear, online (IT)
2014
Ladies&Gents, I was a gay cowboy long before it was cool,byHaris Giannouras, review, online (GR)
2013
Vogue Italia, nr. 757 The talent issue, September 2013, print (IT)
Bright, vol 9, September 2013, print (NL)
Textiel Plus, nr 225, autumn 2013, print (NL)
Glamcult, issue 6, Augustus 2013, print (NL)