Carmen Schabracq
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Carmen Schabracq -
Carmen Schabracq (Amsterdam, NL, 1988) creates paintings, sculptural installations, masks and performances in which the theatricality of life plays an important role. She gathers stories from various myths, traditions and her own experiences and uses them to create collage-like visual narratives. The mask is a recurring object and theme in her work, which she uses to explore the complexity of human identity. A mask is a tool within a ritual or performance, to become 'the other' and she plays with this in various ways.
Her work is also a form of escapism because of the characters she places in spaces of colour. A way to briefly escape from this world and imagine yourself in another, full of playfulness and humour, to deal with the layered reality of life and death. Just as folkloric rituals and traditions do, for instance in the celebration of the seasons, to propitiate the gods, scare off demons and devils or celebrate fertility. Schabracq's work is a stylised theatre of her own cosmos, with references from art history and folklore such as costumes.
Carmen was born in Amsterdam (1988), where she now lives and works. In 2012 she obtained her BA in fine arts from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, after a year of painting studies at the Academia di Belle Arti in Rome. In 2015 she obtained her MA in theater costume design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, with a research and body of work she called 'naked masks'. In 2017-2018 she received the ‘new makers subsidy’ from the Performing Arts Fund NL, with which she made two in situ performances in Zeeland. Her work has been shown in several museums, like Stedelijk Museum Breda, Museum Tot Zover, Amsterdam and Nest, The Hague.
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MIART 2026
PAN 2024
When Roots Start Riding Horses
Sources of Wonder
KunstRAI 2023
Day of the donkey
Extravaganza
Lockdown Show Part #3: Carmen Schabracq, Becoming Vincent -
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1988, Amsterdam, NL
Education
2014-2015 MA of Arts, Theatre costume design, Royal Academy of Art, Antwerpen B
2008-2012 BA Fine Arts, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam NL
2011 Erasmus exchange Fine Arts, Sint Lucas Academie, Gent B
2007-2008 Painting, Academia di Belle Arti, Roma ITGrants
2025 Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Stipendium, NL
2025 Werktuig PPO grant, Permanent Professional Development, NL
2025 Mondriaan Fund, International Art Presentation, NL
2025 Nomination ‘Designer Award’, costume design for Mama Dada, Nederlands Theater Festival, NL
2024 Europe Moves grant, Goethe Institute x European Union
2024 Werktuig PPO subsidy, Permanent Professional Development
2021 Mondriaan Fund, Covid support Artist NL
2020 Amarte fund, project subsidy
2017/2018 New Maker Subsidy, FPK Dutch Performing Arts Fund, NLResidencies
2024 Artist in Residency, Lotto Zero Textile Centre, Prato Italy
2022 Artist in residency, BijlmAIR, CBK Zuidoost, Amsterdam NL
2021 Artist in residency, Kunsthuis SYB, Beetsterzwaag NL
2021 Artist in residency, ARV.International, Vishovgrad Bulgaria
2020 Artist in residency, Vincent van Gogh Huis, Zundert NL
2020 Artist in residency, Opium Atelier Radio 4, Hilversum NL
2019 Artist in residency, Casa Lü Parque Hundido, Mexico City MXWorks in collections
Amsterdam Museum NL
Art Collection Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam NL
Centrum Beeldende Kunst Zuid Oost NL
Vincent van Gogh Huis NL
Akzo Nobel Art foundation NL
Ministerie Binnenlandse zaken NL
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam NLExhibitions (selection)
2026 (upcoming) Grenzeloos kunst verkennen, new in-situ work part of art route, NL
2026 (upcoming) MiArt, Milano Art Fair, solo show, Red Lab Gallery & Galerie Fleur en Wouter, Milano, IT
2026 (upcoming) Coolcity3000, group show, SPACE collection, Liège, BE
2026 (upcoming) Art Rotterdam, duo show with Agata Ferrari Bravo, curated by Andrea Contin, Red Lab Gallery, NL
2026 (upcoming) Awaiting Legends / ‘Uit het niets’, group show, curated by Ellis Kat, Kunst Linie Almere, NL
2026 (upcoming) Greige Fantastic, group show, curated by Maia Kenney, De Nederlandsche Bank, Amsterdam, NL
2026 Grey! Art on Aging, group show, curated by Mirjam Westen & Sjors Bindels, Museum van Bommel van Dam, Venlo, NL
2025/2026 Deconstruction Reconstruction, 18th Textile Triennial Lodz, group show, curated by Bukola
2026 Oyebode & Marta Kowalewska, Central Museum of Textile Lödz, PL
2025 Kissambushed, group show, curated by me, Gallery van Fanny Freytag, Amsterdam, NL
2025 Pittura Ora, trio show represented by Red Lab Gallery, Art Verona, Verona, IT
2025 The Mothers I wear, solo show, curated by Leonardo Regano, Red Lab Gallery, Milano, IT
2025 A Centre without a middle, group show, Marian Cramer Projects, Amsterdam, NL
2025 Nieuwe Lijnen, group show, Museum Villa Mondriaan, Winterswijk, NL
2025 Wall of She, group show, curated by Cathelijne Blok, Galerie Sofie van de Velde, Antwerpen, BE
2025 Boven Natuur, group show, De Vishal, Haarlem, NL Amsterdam Museum, NL
2024/2025 Vrouwen van Amsterdam - een Ode, group show, Amsterdam Museum
2024 When roots start riding horses, Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Amsterdam
2024 PAN art fair, group show, Galerie Fleur & Wouter
2024 It hûs is net ien, SYB triënnale, group show, Kunsthuis Syb, Beetsterzwaag
2024 Vrouwen van Zuid Oost, group show, OSCAM / Amsterdam Museum
2024 Limburg Biënnale, group show, Marres & Odapark, Maastricht
2024 I turn my blood into milk for you, solo, Metroscope Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam
2023/2024 Delicious Death, group show, Museum Tot Zover, Amsterdam
2023 Some One No One and One hundred thousand, Solo, Studio Seine, Rotterdam
2023 Continue This Thread, group show, Amsterdam Museum
2023 Solo booth, Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Kunst RAI, Amsterdam
2023 The Grand Palace of Everyone, group show, Nest Ruimte, Den Haag
2022/23 Van Gogh als inspiratie - Aanwinsten, group show Vincent Van Gogh Huis
2022/23 BijlmAIR, group show, CBK Zuid-Oost, Amsterdam
2022 Day of the Donkey, duo with Dodi Espinosa, Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Amsterdam
2022 CABEZAS, solo, Art Bar Kippy, Amsterdam
2022 Outsider Land, duo with Jacquelien Gosschalk, Outsider Land, Amsterdam
2022 ICONS, group show, Factor-IJ, Amsterdam
2022 Depend On Me, group show, Punt WG, Amsterdam
2021/‘22 Vanwege Vincent, group show, Stedelijk Museum Breda
2021 On Empirical Grounds, group show, De Bouwput, Amsterdam
2021 Unity Duality Trinity, group show curated by AXS Art, De School, Amsterdam
2021 Dionysian Days, solo, Gallery Heerz Tooya, Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria
2021 This Art Fair, The Salon of the Lazy Horse, solo stand, Amsterdam
2020 Extravaganza, group show: Jan Hoek, Eleonora Stol & me, Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Amsterdam NL
2020 Vincent van Gogh Huis AiR, solo show, Van Gogh Galerie, Zundert NL
2020 20 jaar Zeeland Nazomer Festival, video & installation, group show, Middelburg NL
2020 Sighing Masks, etalage installation & show, CBK Amsterdam NL
2019 La Realidad del Perro, group show, Casa Lü, Mexico City MX
2019 Ambassade van de Noordzee, lecture & group show, Stroom Den Haag & strand Scheveningen NL
2019 Dicke Mädchen, group show with Rosa Schützendorf & Jack Davey, Antwerp Art Weekend B
2018 Kustpijn Paardenkracht, installation, Kloostergang Abdij plein, Middelburg NL 2017 Maskerade, Masks in art and the art of the mask, Stichting Polderlicht, Amsterdam NL
2017 Imagine Film Festival, installation, Eye Film museum, Amsterdam NL
2016 De Bonte Duif en het Zwarte Padje, group show, Bellamy Kabinet, Amsterdam NL
2016 XII, group show, 12 hour exhibition XII, W139, Amsterdam NL
2016 Conceal to Reveal, solo show, Weekender, Punt WG, Amsterdam NL
2016 Occultare per Mostrare, solo show, Galleria Grefti, Umbertide ITPerformance (selection)
2025 Santa Lucia, Corpi sul Palco, performance night curated by Andrea Contin, Milano
2024 I turn my blood into milk for you, performance at PAN art fair
2022 Apotropaic Mask performance, SUPRISE, Tomoko Mukaiyama x Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam 2022 Day of the Donkey, Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Amsterdam
2022 Agave, Club M, Dordrechts Museum x Kunstmin, Dordrecht
2022 Becoming Vincent, Starry Night, Stedelijk Museum Breda
2021 Becoming Vincent, Galerie Fleur & Wouter, Amsterdam
2020 Xolotl guide to the underworld, performance in collab. with Project Wildeman, Amsterdam NL
2020 Listening to the political voice of the sea, Ambassade v/d Noordzee, Frascati, Amsterdam NL
2019 Minotaurus, interactive installation in colab. with BREI, Festival Boulevard, Den Bosch NL 2018 Kustpijn Paardenkracht, performance, Zeeland Nazomer Festival, Zoutelande NL
2018 De Poesie Bar, Eddie and the Eagles, Bimhuis, Amsterdam NL
2017 Sint Nicolaas (hij komt, hij komt), performance show, Sint Nicolaas kerk, Brouwershaven NL
2017 So you think you can DaDa?, group performance show, Leidse Schouwburg, Leiden NL
2017 Heroines Circus, performance night curated by me and Renske van Enckevort, Sociëteit Sexyland, Amsterdam NL
2016 Is your body the pedestal of your head?, 12-hour performance, XII, W139, Amsterdam NLPublications
2026 Live, Learn, Create… Repeat, publication on 25 years of artists in residency in the Bijlmer, Jap Sam Books
2025 Erwin Olaf Magazine, group portrait with the No Limits! Art Castle community, by Feriet Tunc, one issue magazine, November 2025
2025 Een uur Cultuur, #373, interview by Teddy Tops, NPO radio 1, 30.08.2025
2025 Volkstrant (newspaper) Kunstwerk v/d week 05.03.2025 article on my work by Janna Reinsma
2024 REAL Magazine #9 article on my work by Selma Lagewaardt & Ab Bol
2024 Oefeningen voor een waterige politiek, Ambassade van de Noordzee, 2018-2023
2023 NRC (newspaper) Interview 01.10.2023 by Ron Rijghaard
2022 Metropolis M (online) 01.09.2022 by Vanessa Bakhuizen-van ‘t Hoogt & Liza Voetman
2022 Interview in the newspaper, Het Parool, by Jan Pieter Ekker
2021 Publication Vanwege Vincent, catalogue of the exhibition in Stedelijk Museum Breda
2021 Een ander gezicht opzetten, interview on my work in Textiel Plus, 256
2021 Becoming Vincent, I’ll never walk alone, publication of my AiR at the Van Gogh Huis
2020 We are the collection, AKZO NOBEL Art Foundation 25 years of collection magazine
2020 Jaarpublicatie 2019, Luisteren naar de Noordzee, Ambassade van de Noordzee 2020 Beroepsvereniging Beeldende Kunstenaars Magazine, #1
2018 Is your body the pedestal of your head?, Book about my masks, in collaboration with Paul Koeleman, with introduction by Alex Mallems and an interview by Renee Padt. 2018 Faceless Re-inventing Privacy Trough Subversive Media Strategies Ed. By Doringer, Bogomir / Felderer, Brigitte.
2018 From a creative nest: Carmen Schabracq, online article, ID magazine 22/02
2017 Samen eten we Sint Nicolaas op, newspaper article, 1/12 Provinciale Zeeuwse CourantCommissions (selection)
2026 Creation of painted special edition jewelry box for Wouters & Hendrix BE/NL
2025 Costume & mask design for ‘No Man’s Land’, stichting No Mad Is Me, theater Walhalla, Rotterdam
2025 Costume design for ‘Mama Dada’, Theater aan de Rijn, Arnhem
2024 Masks & costume design for the opera ‘The Gospel according to the
2024 Costume design for the opera production ‘The Gospel according to the other Mary’, Volksoper Vienna
2024 Costume design, ‘I Love Roma’, by Giovanni Brand, Walhalla & Theaterproductie huis Zeeland
2023 Masks for theatre production ‘De Eindtijd Revue’ by performance collective URLAND
2022 Mask & costume design for the opera production ‘I Have Missed You Forever’, Dutch National Opera
2020 Costume design & scenography, ‘Beige’, by Sheralynn Adriaanse, Stichting Likeminds
2020 Costume design & scenography, ‘Djinns’, by Ko van den Bosch, Stichting Likeminds
2019 Scenography, The tragedy of Slaughtervaart, Dood Paard
2019 De Minotaurus, interactive sculpture in collaboration with BREI, Stip, festival Boulevard
2018 De Zeemond, interactive sculpture, commissioned by Ambassade van de Noordzee
2017 Costumes and scenography for ‘Het raadsel van alles wat leeft’, Dood Paard
2017 Costumes and scenography for ‘Terug naar huis’, Naomi van der Linde, Oerol Terschelling
2017 Costume design & scenography, ‘Hiroshima mon amour’, Zuidpool, Zeeland Nazomer Festival, Tholen
