Curriculum Vitae
Education
• 2015
Master (4 months) Materialisation in Art & Design, Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam
• 2011- 2015
Bachelor product design, Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam (cum laude)
• 2007 – 2011
Vocational school, spatial design, CIBAP, Zwolle
Internship
• 2014
BioCouture, London, UK (now Biofabricate)
TV & Media
• 2021 • Anna’s Brains • VPRO
‘Brain’ in episode about ‘Lightning’ & ‘Actionhero’
• 2019 • VPRO Toekomstbouwers • VPRO
Interview during DDW by Nadia Moussaid about my work and research.
Work Experience & research
• 2023 • DOEN Foundation , Amsterdam, NL
Research Art & Design for Biobased Materials. Written report and project management.
• 2021 • present • Museum of 21st Century Design, Amsterdam, NL
Curator & designer
• 2020 • present • Master Ecology Futures, Den Bosch, NL
Core tutor Growing Cultures (interim pathway leader for 6 months in 2022/2023)
• 2020 • Central Saint Martins London (UAL), UK
Visiting Tutor Master Material Futures
• 2019 • 2022 • Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, NL
Teacher & Researcher Living Stations Lab
• 2019 • 2020 • Design Academy, Eindhoven, NL
Visiting Tutor Master Social Design
• 2016 • present • BlueCity Lab, Rotterdam, NL
Founder & Ambassador
• 2015 • present • Founder Emma van der Leest Design & Research
• 2014 • present • Biofabricate Summit, New York, USA
Production Associate & assistant
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Awards & Nominations
• 2022 • ECO Coin Award
Outstandingly contributed to make this planet a more sustainable place
• 2020 • Duurzame Jonge 100 NL
Top 100 sustainable young leaders under 32 Listed (random)
• 2019 • Winner Bio Art & Design Award
€25.000 to develop the ‘Fungal Supercoating’
• 2019 • Nominee Dolf Henkes Price, TENT, Rotterdam • Oeuvre price
• 2018 • Winner Border Sessions Award
Oeuvre price €5000
• 2018 • Duurzame Jonge 100 NL
Top 100 sustainable young leaders under 32
Listed (random)
• 2016 • Nominee Henri Winkelman Award
Oeuvre price
• 2015 • Nominee Drempelprijs Award
Form Follows Organism
Honorary Jobs
• 2023 • Circular Challenge
Material expert
• 2022 • ASN Bank Wereldprijs
Jury in category ‘Nature & Environment’
• 2022 • Bio Art & Design Award
Jury member
• 2022 • Circular Challenge
Chair of jury
• 2020 • Laka Reacts Accelerator
Jury member & expert Biodesign
• 2019 • present
• 2018 New Material Award
Jury member
Exhibitions
• 2022 – 2024 • RetroFuture • Next Nature
Evoluon, Eindhoven, NL
• 2022 • WATERSCHOOL’s Garden of Delight, Milan, IT
• 2021 • Yksi Expo • Rethinking Plastic
Eindhoven, NL
• 2021 • Dutch Design Week • It’s in our Nature
Eindhoven, NL
• 2021 • Museum De Fundatie • Design By Nature
Zwolle, NL
• 2021 • Museum Het Domijn • Kunst & Kunststof Sittard, NL
• 2021 • Museum Het Valkhof • De Pest, Nijmegen, NL
• 2020 • Impossible Bodies
Den Bosch, NL
• 2019/2020 • Polarities • MU Hybrid Art House
Eindhoven, NL
• 2019 • Dutch Design Week, Veem gebouw, Eindhoven NL
• 2019 • Het Klimaatmuseum
Utrecht Central Station, NL
• 2019 • GOGBOT Festival • Planetart
Enschede, NL
• 2019 • Dolf Henkes Price • TENT
Rotterdam, NL
• 2018 • Dutch Design Week • Klokgebouw Eindhoven, NL
• 2016 • Dutch Design Week • Van Abbemuseum Eindhoven, NL
• 2015 • Best off graduation show • WdKA
Rotterdam, NL
• 2015 • Salone del Mobile, Ventura Milano
Milan, IT
• 2015 • London Design Week
London, UK