V&B (Alex Jacobs & Ellemieke Schoenmaker) is a Dutch artist duo founded in Los Angeles in 2007. They move effortlessly between abstraction and figuration, and between sculpture, painting, and installation. Their work blends historical references with elements borrowed from media and popular culture. Spontaneous intuition and critical inquiry create unexpected combinations, inviting viewers to notice meanings and associations that are often overlooked.
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EDUCATION
1991–1995 AKI (ArtEZ), BA Mixed Media (Ellemieke Schoenmaker)
1997–1999 Frank Mohr Institute, MA Painting (Ellemieke Schoenmaker)
1995–1999 AKI (ArtEZ), BA Sculpture (Alex Jacobs)
1999–2000 Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen, Scotland (Alex Jacobs)
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SOLO PRESENTATIONS
2025 A Touch of the Great Equation, Heejsteck#, Utrecht (in cooperation with Alban Karsten)
2023 First Meeting of the Stone Liberation Front, Big Art, Amsterdam
2022 Exhibition Up–Exhibition Down, Farside Fyn, Tårup, Denmark
2022 V&B: A Gathering of Conditions, Heejsteck#, Utrecht
2021 Early Display at the Society for the Appreciation of Hope, This Art Fair, Amsterdam
2018 SCOPE Art Fair, booth Jaap Sleper, Basel
2018 A Contemporary Recapitulation of 4 Optimistic Attitudes (The Better Me), AK24, Utrecht
2018 New Perspectives, ZigZag City, Office for Metropolitan Information, Rotterdam
2016 The Grace of Maybe, Concordia, Enschede
2015 This Art Fair, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam
2014 179 Easy Steps to a Masterpiece, Galerie Jaap Sleper, Utrecht
2014 Art in Redlight, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam
2014 179 Easy Steps to a Masterpiece, Torrance Art Museum, Los Angeles (US)
2013 KunstRAI, booth Galerie Jaap Sleper, Amsterdam
2013 Have You Seen This Painting, galerie with tsjalling, Groningen
2013 Re:Rotterdam, Home of Your Favorite Artists, Rotterdam
2012 The Others Art Fair, booth Galerie Jaap Sleper, Torino
2012 Cologne Art Fair, booth Galerie Jaap Sleper, Cologne
2012 V&B, Museum Hilversum, Hilversum
2012 6 Easy Steps to a Masterpiece, Art The Hague, booth Galerie Jaap Sleper
2012 I Remember Tomorrow, Galerie Jaap Sleper, Utrecht
2012 Most of Our Universe Is Missing, booth Galerie10, KunstRAI, Amsterdam
2012 The Untamed Reality of Magic, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Den Haag
2011 The Collection; FITAX solo (Malerei), Het Wilde Weten, Rotterdam
2011 The Work, The Study, The Oeuvre and The Collection, Galerie10, Utrecht
2010 Finding a New Religion (Private Viewing), ArtAmsterdam, booth Galerie10
2009 Eternal Glory in Pseudo 3D, Actionfields / Vincent Verbist, Brussels (BE)
2009 Art Athina, Galerie10, Athens (GR)
2009 268 Masterpieces in RGB, TENT, Rotterdam
2009 Platforms (Hope Returns), Galerie10, Utrecht
2008 La Syndrome di Stendhal, RAIDprojects, Los Angeles (US)
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GROUP PRESENTATIONS
2025 We Are Nature, Singer Museum Laren, Laren
2025 Fractalicious, Enter Art Fair, booth Heejsteck#, Copenhagen
2025 I Want to Breathe Modern Air, KunstRAI, booth Heejsteck#, Amsterdam
2025 Fractalicious, Art Rotterdam, booth Heejsteck#, Rotterdam
2024 Diurnal Dangers, Factor 51, SCOPE Miami, Miami (US)
2024 Hectobar 32.0, Heejsteck#, Utrecht
2024 Artwall, Galerie Larik, Utrecht
2024 Van West tot Zuid, Stichting B.a.d., Rotterdam
2024 Debsaysyes, Ruimte 1, Antwerp (BE)
2024 Diurnal Dangers, Factor 50, Enter Art Fair, booth Heejsteck#, Copenhagen
2024 Heritage, DnA Gallery, Rotterdam
2024 Hectobar 28.0, Heejsteck#, Utrecht
2024 Stone, Paper, Scissors, Kunstuitleen Alkmaar, Alkmaar
2024 Diurnal Dangers, Factor 50, Art Rotterdam, booth Heejsteck#, Rotterdam
2023 Buddies 23, Galerie Herenplaats, Rotterdam
2023 Hectobar 26.0, Heejsteck#, Utrecht
2023 XOXOXO, Heejsteck#, Utrecht
2023 Positions Berlin Art Fair, Post Modern Collection, Berlin (DE)
2023 I Want to Breathe Modern Air, Art Rotterdam, booth Heejsteck#, Rotterdam
2022 Wild Summer of Art 1 & 2, Brutus, Rotterdam
2022 Art Rotterdam, Continental Drifter no. 3 (Outdoor Sculpture), Rotterdam
2022 Art Rotterdam, booth Post Modern Collection, Rotterdam
2022 Female Contrapositions, Heejsteck#, Utrecht (curator)
2022 The View from Peak Balcony, Galerie Larik, Utrecht (curator)
2022 Anna Singer Art, Singer Museum Laren, Laren
2022 Vouch, Loods 6, Amsterdam
2022 Hectobar 19, Neck of the Woods III, Rotterdam (curator)
2021 Hectobar 18, Neck of the Woods III, Rotterdam (curator)
2021 Anna Singer Art, Singer Museum Laren, Laren
2021 Surface Tension, Neck of the Woods III, Rotterdam
2021 Hectobar 17.0, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam (curator)
2021 Art Rotterdam Week, Kunst & Complex, Rotterdam
2021 GRAW, Bosland 28a, Studio K&C, Rotterdam
2021 Not So Solo, NL=US gallery, Rotterdam
2020 A Joy Forever #7, Galerie Luycks, Tilburg
2020 A KOCSMA: Air Pécsbagota 2007–2020, Ruimtevaart, Den Haag
2020 Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend, Studio K&C / Bosland 28a, Rotterdam
2020 Royal Drippings, Galerie Luycks, Tilburg
2020 There Were Plants and Rocks and Things, TAK Artspace, Ermelo
2020 #SoftMarket, Frank Taal Galerie, Rotterdam (curator)
2020 Vouch, Studioweekend, Amsterdam/Rotterdam
2020 Pong, L.A.R.p (Los Angeles Rotterdam Project), online
2020 Hectobar 8.0, Punch, Amsterdam (curator)
2020 This Art Fair (truck), Amsterdam
2020 Hectobar 5.0, TENT, Rotterdam (curator)
2020 Art Rotterdam Week, Kunst & Complex, Rotterdam
2019 Hectobar 3.0, Neck of the Woods, Rotterdam (curator)
2019 Priceless, Neck of the Woods, Rotterdam
2019 Bcademie, Pension Almonde, Rotterdam (curator)
2019 Intervention 3.0, Neck of the Woods, Rotterdam (curator)
2019 The Others, Art Fair Torino, booth Post Modern Collection, Torino (IT)
2019 Hectobar 2.0, Neck of the Woods, Rotterdam (curator)
2019 Often Unanswered, But Always Guessing, Neck of the Woods, Rotterdam (curator)
2019 Hectobar 1.0, Insulindestraat, Rotterdam (curator)
2019 Eindshow Bcademie, Garage Rotterdam, Rotterdam (curator)
2019 Off Grid, Outsight Gallery, Amsterdam
2019 CO/LAB IV, Torrance Art Museum, Los Angeles (US) (co-curator)
2019 Art Rotterdam Week, Kunst & Complex, Rotterdam
2019 Art Rotterdam Week, Amber Solo Gallery, Rotterdam (curator)
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PRIZES / STIPENDIA / AWARDS
2025 100 Years of TT Assen — Design for a 5 euro coin (winning design), Ministry of Finance / Central Bank of the Netherlands, Den Haag
2024 Tired Mountain Syndrome — Praktijksubsidie, CBK Rotterdam, Rotterdam
2023 200 Years of KNRM — Design for a 5 euro coin, Ministry of Finance / Central Bank of the Netherlands, Den Haag
2021 Corona Support (Artists), Mondriaan Fund, Amsterdam
2021 The Cocktail Era, Makersloket, Droom en Daad, Rotterdam
2021 Hectobar, Makersloket, Droom en Daad, Rotterdam
2020 Project Fund, Mondriaan Fund, Amsterdam
2018 Research & Development Stipend, CBK Rotterdam (Centre for Visual Arts), Rotterdam
2015 Stipendium for Established Artists, Mondriaan Fund, Amsterdam
2012 Winner, AVRO TV show “In Search of the New Rembrandt”
2012 Design for a series of 5 euro coins (Rietveld Schröder House, Amsterdam; Kinderdijk), Ministry of Finance, Den Haag
2012 Research & Development Stipend, CBK Rotterdam (Centre for Visual Arts), Rotterdam
2011 The Fair Maiden — sculpture commission for the Public Prosecution Service, Groningen
2010 Basic Stipend, Fonds BKVB, Amsterdam
2010 Production Stipend, Stokroos Foundation, Utrecht
2010 The Netherlands and Painting — design for a 5 euro coin, Ministry of Finance, Den Haag
2009 Research & Development Stipend, CBK Rotterdam (Centre for Visual Arts), Rotterdam
2009 Basic Stipend, Fonds BKVB, Amsterdam
2008 Winner, Royal Painting Prize (presented by HM Queen Beatrix)
2008 Nominated, Charlotte van Pallandt Sculpture Prize
2008 Nominated, Young Sculptor Award, Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, Milan (IT)
COLLECTIONS
Museum Voorlinden
De Heus-Zomer Collection
Centraal Museum Utrecht
VU Medical Center, Amsterdam
AkzoNobel Art Foundation
Public Prosecution Service, Groningen
Menzis Collection
Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, Milan (IT)
CBK Rotterdam
Heden, Den Haag
SBK Amsterdam
Aegon Art Collection, Den Haag
MAL art Collection
National and international private collections
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RESIDENCIES
2017 Grenswerk, Tripkau, Germany
2014 18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica (US)
2009 Post 15, Pécsbagota, Hungary
2009 GlogauAIR, Berlin, Germany
2009 Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany
2007/08 RAID Projects, Los Angeles (US)
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OTHER
2021–now Founder / Organizer, Heejsteck# Gallery / Projectspace, Utrecht
2010–now Chair, Foundation and Society Kunst & Complex, Rotterdam
2019–now Founder / Organizer, Hectobar.nl
2015–now Founder / Organizer / Chair, Bcademie Foundation (alternative post-academy)
2018–now Founder / Organizer, Amber Solo Gallery
2019–2025 Tutor, Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam
2014–2015 Founder / Organizer, Swartmark.com (anonymous online gallery)
2012–2013 Tutor, ArtEZ University of the Arts
2011–2017 Founder / Organizer, KC Basement exhibition space
2011–2014 Founder / Organizer, Re:Rotterdam (alternative art fair)
2003–2016 Board member, Tupajumi Foundation (creator and organizer)