Merijn Kavelaars (1985, The Netherlands) is a versatile artist who has been working with paintings and installations for over 15 years. His distinctive style is defined by experimentation with bold lines, bursts of vibrant colors and organic shapes. His work is connected by his ability to arrange and layer different elements, always inviting the audience to interact with the pieces. 

This approach stems from his intuitive and self-taught practice. His site-specific projects for example, often envelop entire spaces, encouraging the audience to move freely through the site, Kavelaars being present no matter which way they turn. 

It's the unique interaction between elements that define his style – a style that’s like a world to get lost in; to look at endlessly, to fantasize, to dream and to find new meanings.

Kavelaars is based in Amsterdam and has spent time living, attending residencies and working in Shanghai, Iran, Hong Kong and Taiwan. His work is a part of several worldwide private collections and museums.

CV

2025

upcomming:

• studio opening - Netherlands
• solo exhibition Waalres Museum - Netherlands
• Groupshow No Mans Art Gallery Tokio - Japan

2024

• 'Matter Matters' (Group), Yours Truly Art Collective, Jiuba space by No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam
• 'Form and Shape' (Group), Wangsim, Hong Kong
• Big Art (Artfair), Amsterdam

2023

• Night Art Fair,‘Syndrome series’ (Solo) , Wangsim, Taipei, Taiwan
• ‘Atari’ (Group), Jiuba art space by No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam
• Tache Tache Tache (Solo), Coachhouse61, Amsterdam
• Box Solo (Group), Yours Truly Art Collective, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven

2022

• NMAG CDMX (Group), No Mans Art Gallery Pop-Up, Mexico City
• ‘Sounds of the city’, Casa UC, Mexico City
• ‘MCFresno installation’, Obra Gris Space, Mexico City
• ‘Artist in Residence, Fresno 301, Mexico City

2021

• 'Soms' (Solo), Atelier Kavelaars, Waalre, The Netherlands
• NMAG 10 years (Group), No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  

2020

• 'My Dogma' (Solo), Art Chapel, Amsterdam
• 'Path to an enchanting seclusion' (Group), Xinqiao art museum, Shanghai, China
• Panda Project (group), Shanghai Fashion Fair, Shanghai, China
• 'Wangsim showroom taken over by Merijn Kavelaars' (Solo), K11, Shanghai, China

2019

• Museumnacht station Weesperplein collaboration with CS Media
• ‘KAV54’ (Solo), Wangsim & V54 Artsit in Residence, Hong Kong
• Save the Children auction, Hong Kong
• Livepaint performance, IFX Fair, Las Vegas, USA
• ‘Where the sun goes down’ (Group), No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam

2018

• ‘Bursting Bold’ (Solo), Lucie Chang Fine Arts, Hong Kong
• Lucie Chang Fine Arts at AAF (fair), Hong Kong
• ‘Growth’ (Group), Art Labor gallery, Shanghai, China
• ‘Rikshaw Run’, India

2017

• ‘Wanderings of the mind’ (Group), Ron Lang Art, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• ‘Edge Water’ (Group), LLND Studio, Shanghai, China
• This Art Fair (group), No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• ‘Shanghai Dream’ (Group), Art Labor Gallery, Shanghai, China
• Live paint performance, Dutch Consulate, Shanghai, China
• Gallery/Studio Kavelaars, Amsterdam Central Station, The Netherlands

2016

• ‘Three Knee Deep’, No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• ‘Leslie Cheung’ (Group), The heART Center, Paris, France
• ArtRai (Fair), No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• ‘Untitled’ (Solo), Vista+ Gallery, Tehran, Iran
• No Mans Art Gallery (Group), Tehran, Iran
• ‘The drawing hand’ (Group), Magda Danysz Gallery, Shanghai, China
• ‘No Good Can Come From This’ (Solo), No Mans Art Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2015

• Live paint performance for Dutch consulate, Shanghai, China
• Kong Siwenli, Fireflies Gathering (Group), Curateds by Jeremy Chaval, Shanghai, China
• ‘No Gloves’ (Solo), Curated by Emmelie Koster, Shanghai, China

2014

• No Mans Art Gallery (Group), Cape town, South Africa
• Wanderlust (Group), Shanghai, China
• Begin from chaos (Group), Inna Contemporary Art Space, Hangzhou, China

2013

• Rauwer (Group), Hutspot Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Nuit Blanche (Live paint performance), Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Auction for Soong Ching Ling Foundation Charity Event, Shanghai, China
• Grote 8 meets van Gogh (Group), Van Gogh Museum, Netherlands
• Kyra & Merijn (Group), NMAG & Secret 7 Gallery, Shanghai, China
• No Mans Art Gallery (Group), Shanghai, China

2012

• Artistic Affairs, Walls Gallery (Group), Amsterdam, Netherlands
• No Mans Art Gallery (Group), Paris, France
• Sous 623, Amsterdam (Solo), Netherlands
• Bead the poetry (Live paint performance), Dordrechts Museum, Netherlands
• Blue Jeans(Group), Central Museum Utrecht, Netherlands
• When BlueBlood meets artists (Group), Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Kunst-10-Daagse (Group), Stomperoren, Netherlands
• Live Paint, Dordrechts Museum, Netherlands
• Hot stuff, Walls Gallery (Group), Amsterdam, Netherlands
• No Mans Art Gallery (Group), Kopenhagen, Denmark
• Walls Gallery at AAF (Fair), Amsterdam, Netherlands
• No Mans Art Gallery (Group), Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Hutspot Gallery (Group), Amsterdam, Netherlands

2011

• Vrije vogels (Group), Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Opening Gallery Kavelaars (Solo), Magna Plaza, Netherlands
• PUP Amsterdam (Live paint performance), Netherlands
• On my way (Group), Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Virtine de ville (Group), Amsterdam, Netherlands

2010

• Vitrine Vijzelstraat (Solo), Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Museumnacht, Amsterdam Museum (Live paint performance), Netherlands

COLLECTIONS

• MOMA Hybrid, Peking, China
• Cartier International SNC, business collection, Parijs, Frankrijk
• Pejman Foundation, Tehran, Iran
• China Soong welfare foundation, Shanghai, China
• Alibaba Group, business collection, Hangzhou, China
  

PRESS

• Muze Magazine AvroTros
• BNR Newsradio
• Canal Once - Itinerario - Programa 39 (Mexico TV)
• Channel Young TV China
• City Weekend China 
• Close to Culture Hong Kong Tv
• De Pers
• Elle
• Elle Man China
• Harpers Bazaar
• Het Parool
• Hoop Doop Magazine
• I Amsterdam
• Linda
• L’Officiel
• Lost and Found Magazine
• Mudmag
• Modern O2
• Modern Weekly China
• Numero
• NRC Next
• Pupmag
• Park magazine
• Styletv.com
• Talkies Magazine
• The International Correspondent
• Veronica Magazine
• VPRO Mondo
• Vogue