Marlies Lebesque

Born in Heerlen 1951

At Dionysius, college for textile arts and crafts in Tilburg I learned all about history of textile arts and crafts, practiced all textile technics, to become a teacher at high school level. (Period 1968-1973)
Then in 1974 I went for a follow-up study at Academy for Industrial Design in Eindhoven. In 1978 I started teaching In Utrecht, at faculty for education/college for art studies. (part time job) Until 1993 I taught classes in the principles of design, history of textile art, visualization -processes, methods of learning, didactic of problem solving processes, how to convert an idea into an image, find a topic by experiment.
In my studio I experimented with shaping soft materials by folding, twisting, bundling, stacking, wrapping, etc. Acts with soft material provide their own formal types and Forms. Therefor I studied the principles of soft art and their pictorial elements. To renew the textile technics into modern and contemporary images. After mastering this new visual language, I was able to visualize my ideas. See www.marlieslebesque-portfolio.nl
From 1975 I took part on group exhibitions and several solo shows, mainly in the Netherlands. Because of the announced closure of the faculty I should lose my job in 1993. So I went to university as a doctoral student in 1987 to study art history, in the meantime teaching classes at college of art.
in the year 1993 I received my doctoral degree, I lost my job and designed my own house. Then had a part time job until I got ill in 1996. Burnout and chronicle fatigue disease.
In 2000 I had a bit of energy back and rented a studio again, from that time on I am full time professional artist. A steady production of art as a result. Again exhibitions in solo- and group shows in several galleries. 2003 starting an art loan with my own art and prints from other artists. Curated 5 line art shows since 2010. (www.werk-in-uitvoering.com)

It starts with perceptions, insights that are linked with feelings. Through awareness, I try to get a hold of these perceptions. My note books can attest to that.I write down the analysis through a visualization process. By searching for the right words (metaphors) a visual translation appears. This is how I show my vision of reality, most often through abstract visual language. Abstract art is not just playing with form and color. It speaks and makes statements. In addition, there are expressive elements such as movement, harmony, rest, emptiness, chaos and clarity that can enhance abstract work.
In this way, my abstract art can even reflect the sensitive qualities of our existence. Abstract art can show the invisible such as the emptiness, the other, the fragmented of our contemporary existence. These are recurring subjects.

Solo expositie in galerie 59, Amsterdam photo: Larry Hamill