Manon Van Kouswijk

Manon Van Kouswijkis is a Dutch artist and contemporary jeweller who lives and works in Melbourne. She studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where she held the position of Head of the Jewellery Department before relocating to Australia in 2010. She currently lectures in Fine Art at Monash Art, Design and Architecture, Melbourne.

Kouswijkis’ methodology is based on exploring the visual and conceptual potential of well-known jewellery forms and motifs and translating them through a range of materials and processes. Integral to her practice is the framing and contextualising of her work through the making of exhibitions and artist publications often in collaboration with other artists and designers. Her artist books feature found and made photographs and drawings to trace and reimagine the presence of jewellery and other personal possessions in private settings, in museums and in popular culture.

Kouswijkis’ has exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide and is part of collections including Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Røsska Museet, Gøteborg, Sweden; Fonds national d'art contemporain, Paris; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Marseille, France; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; Victoria & Albert Museum, London.