Bibi Smit is a Dutch contemporary artist. Looking at the work of Bibi Smit, we often find a sense of wonder and calmness. Her practice investigates patterns, colors, and movements found in nature. The works often use organic, hand shaped forms that progress through color gradients.
In her recent series ‘Maru Mori’ and ‘Morii’, she reflects on the heartbreaking simplicity of simple shapes, such as flowers and fruits that, after achieving their prime moment of beauty, start to decompose and gain a newfound beauty. The shape begins to twist and turn, the colour change from bright orange to purples and browns, slowly becoming something new. For Smit, there is poetry in decay as the flower becomes part of the ground, she will nurture the earth which in return will create life again. Smit’s work has garnered recognition for its ability to evoke emotional responses from viewers while also sparking contemplation about our relationship with the natural world.
Color theory and gradients have been central to Smit’s practice, with extensive colour tests before working on a sculpture. Her exploration is particularly informed by working with hot glass, where the visibility of color during shaping is limited (the material remains effectively orange at around 1100 degrees Celsius). She was taught in traditional decorative forms, which translated in her acute attention to detail and technique.
She is expanding her practice to include other media, such as wood and felt, and to develop installations, video, sound works, and suspended pieces.
In her recent series ‘Maru Mori’ and ‘Morii’, she reflects on the heartbreaking simplicity of simple shapes, such as flowers and fruits that, after achieving their prime moment of beauty, start to decompose and gain a newfound beauty. The shape begins to twist and turn, the colour change from bright orange to purples and browns, slowly becoming something new. For Smit, there is poetry in decay as the flower becomes part of the ground, she will nurture the earth which in return will create life again. Smit’s work has garnered recognition for its ability to evoke emotional responses from viewers while also sparking contemplation about our relationship with the natural world.
Color theory and gradients have been central to Smit’s practice, with extensive colour tests before working on a sculpture. Her exploration is particularly informed by working with hot glass, where the visibility of color during shaping is limited (the material remains effectively orange at around 1100 degrees Celsius). She was taught in traditional decorative forms, which translated in her acute attention to detail and technique.
She is expanding her practice to include other media, such as wood and felt, and to develop installations, video, sound works, and suspended pieces.
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CV
Media
Whirl of Life
A mini-documentary about creation, art, nature, and life, through the eyes and hands of glass sculptor Bibi Smit. The short film is showing the process of her milestone artwork “Whirl of Life”, commissioned for the Mauritshuis Museum’s 200 years celebration on April 2022. The concept of this specific commission stands as an occasion to explore the artist’s creative process and artistic aesthetics inspired by and interacting with nature and its contradictions.
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In corporate collection:
NN Group
CV
Bibi Smit, Son en Breugel, 1965
Education / Training
2004 Workshop with Boyd Sugiki at Pilchuck Glass School, Seattle, United States
1988-1989 Glass Assistant at Lindean Mill Glass, Scotland, United Kingdom
1987 Trainee with Willem Heesen, Leerdam, Netherlands
1984-1988 B.A. Honours, West Surrey College of Art and Design, Farnham, United Kingdom
Selected Exhibitions
2025 The Treasure Room, Galerie Wilms, Netherlands
2024 Personal Structures – Beyond Boundaries, Venice Art Biennale, Italy
2024 The Journey of Life, Homo Faber Venice, Italy
2024 THERESI_ART, Art[s] Gallery Simone Jansen, Netherlands
2023 Fragile, Galerie A-Quadraat, Netherlands
2023 HUB Exhibition, Venice Glass Week, Italy
2022 Glasspecial, MPV Gallery, Netherlands
2022 Coburg Prize for Contemporary Glass, Germany
2022 Masterly in The Hague, Netherlands
2018 Copier Unveiled, Nationaal Glasmuseum Leerdam, Netherlands
2018 TRANS-FORM, Mint Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2017 Bibi Smit: Glass is in the air, as part of Masterly in Milan, Italy
2016 Royal Showpieces, Paleis Het Loo, Netherlands
2016 A Vase is a Vase is a Vase, AD Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
2016 Meesterlijk, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2015 Maison & Objet, Paris, France
Selected Commissions
2024 Oranjevaasje Ariane 18, Royal Leerdam Crystal, Netherlands
2022 Whirl of Life / Werveling, Friends of the Mauritshuis Museum, Netherlands
2018 Copier Unveiled, Royal Leerdam Crystal, Netherlands
Awards
2024 Shortlisted in the category of Sculptures and Installations for the project Surge (2024), showcased on Personal Structures - Beyond Boundaries exhibition during the Venice Art Biennale.
COLLECTIONS
Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague, Netherlands
Nationaal Glasmuseum in Leerdam, Netherlands
NN Group Art Collection, Netherlands
Glasmuseum Lette - Alter Hof Herding in Coesfeld, Germany
National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland
VIDEOS
Agis Konstantinidis, Whirl of Life (2023)
Ben Devlin, The Glassmaker (2020), narrated by Zoe Kravitz, part of A World of Calm by HBO Max. Rosa Ruth Boesten, Moving Glass (2017)
PRESS
Thimo te Duits, “The DNA of the Autumn” in Neues Glas – New Glass Magazine (2023)
Thea Figee, “BIBI SMIT 30 jaar in het glas” in Vereniging Vrienden van Modern Glas (2021)
Linda Banks, “Head in the clouds” in Glass Network (2021)
Education / Training
2004 Workshop with Boyd Sugiki at Pilchuck Glass School, Seattle, United States
1988-1989 Glass Assistant at Lindean Mill Glass, Scotland, United Kingdom
1987 Trainee with Willem Heesen, Leerdam, Netherlands
1984-1988 B.A. Honours, West Surrey College of Art and Design, Farnham, United Kingdom
Selected Exhibitions
2025 The Treasure Room, Galerie Wilms, Netherlands
2024 Personal Structures – Beyond Boundaries, Venice Art Biennale, Italy
2024 The Journey of Life, Homo Faber Venice, Italy
2024 THERESI_ART, Art[s] Gallery Simone Jansen, Netherlands
2023 Fragile, Galerie A-Quadraat, Netherlands
2023 HUB Exhibition, Venice Glass Week, Italy
2022 Glasspecial, MPV Gallery, Netherlands
2022 Coburg Prize for Contemporary Glass, Germany
2022 Masterly in The Hague, Netherlands
2018 Copier Unveiled, Nationaal Glasmuseum Leerdam, Netherlands
2018 TRANS-FORM, Mint Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2017 Bibi Smit: Glass is in the air, as part of Masterly in Milan, Italy
2016 Royal Showpieces, Paleis Het Loo, Netherlands
2016 A Vase is a Vase is a Vase, AD Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
2016 Meesterlijk, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2015 Maison & Objet, Paris, France
Selected Commissions
2024 Oranjevaasje Ariane 18, Royal Leerdam Crystal, Netherlands
2022 Whirl of Life / Werveling, Friends of the Mauritshuis Museum, Netherlands
2018 Copier Unveiled, Royal Leerdam Crystal, Netherlands
Awards
2024 Shortlisted in the category of Sculptures and Installations for the project Surge (2024), showcased on Personal Structures - Beyond Boundaries exhibition during the Venice Art Biennale.
COLLECTIONS
Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague, Netherlands
Nationaal Glasmuseum in Leerdam, Netherlands
NN Group Art Collection, Netherlands
Glasmuseum Lette - Alter Hof Herding in Coesfeld, Germany
National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland
VIDEOS
Agis Konstantinidis, Whirl of Life (2023)
Ben Devlin, The Glassmaker (2020), narrated by Zoe Kravitz, part of A World of Calm by HBO Max. Rosa Ruth Boesten, Moving Glass (2017)
PRESS
Thimo te Duits, “The DNA of the Autumn” in Neues Glas – New Glass Magazine (2023)
Thea Figee, “BIBI SMIT 30 jaar in het glas” in Vereniging Vrienden van Modern Glas (2021)
Linda Banks, “Head in the clouds” in Glass Network (2021)
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