Through the years Spijkstra has been a familiar face at IBB participating both as a guest teacher giving workshops to the students at IBB and also as project lead on multiple projects.

I was born and raised in the Netherlands. In 1980, one year after graduating from Academy Minerva, School for Fine Arts and Design, Groningen, NL (1974-1979), I moved to the Caribbean; to Curaçao.

This is where I started my career as a visual artist. I established my ceramic studio and started giving classes.

After winning a local photo competition in 1985, photography became an important aspect of my artistic work as well.

From 1985-1986 I lived in Rochester, NY, USA, where I studied glass blowing, clay and glaze theory and kiln building at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

After moving back to Curaçao again, I have been organizing workshops in my studio. Ceramists of international renown have been my guests.

I participated with both my ceramics sculptures and my photographs in many international exhibitions; in among others S Korea, Taiwan, China, USA, Dominican Republic, Cuba, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy.

My tropical island environment is the fundamental inspiration that embodies my work: the interesting textures and shapes of the weathered (coral) stones on the beach, the pattern of a leaf, or how the reflection of a ship colors the water.

My work is about harmony, balance and tranquility. Materials and the process of erosion or damage fascinate me. I use this in rhythmic compositions or forms.


A 30 minute film regarding my work was produced in 2013; Rust & Coral https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K-l1k0aEm4.

Text and images courtesy of the artist.