Ellen Schippers is a multi-disciplinair artist, who works as a fashion designer, video-artist and photographer. She creates Performances with Wearable Sculptures and Art Theater. Besides she realizes exhibitions with theatrical installations, videos and photos.
Themes
With her performances she makes clear statements. Since the eighties she breaks through the well-defined gender role patterns of men and women and gives her feminist vision on women’s sexuality. For example, she designs clothing and wearable sculptures in which women emerge powerful, take the initiative and in which men emphasize their vulnerability. Each piece of clothing tells its own story, which asks to be brought out.
In the nineties Schippers focuses more on the inner experience of women. In these performances the tension between inner experience and outer appearance is central. She inflates or destroys the suffocating ideal image that is created and accepted by society.
Schippers creates a mysterious atmosphere, which gives the viewers room for their own associations and emotions. Her work is about female images, the ideals of beauty and about the contradiction between self-image and authenticity.
Performances with Wearable Sculptures and Art Theater
Ellen Schippers has been presenting her performances on stages in the Netherlands and abroad since 1981. She involves theatrical elements such as movement theater, music, light and later also poetry. The collaboration with dancers, actors and mime performers in combination with the wearable sculptures create a special synergy. The mysterious atmosphere and the poetic images appeal to the associative ability of the viewer.
Schippers presented her Performances and Art Theater in art festivals and theatres in the Netherlands and abroad: De Kleine Komedie, De Brakke Grond, Panama, Escape, the Melkweg, Paradiso, Mazzo, COC, Gallery Sponz, Maison Descartes (French Cultural Embassy), Homo-monument and the Vondelpark Open Air Theatre in Amsterdam, the World Science Fiction Congress in The Hague, Roze Zaterdag in Zwolle, the Hippodrome Theatre in London, the Dressing for Pleasure Festival in New York and the Wiener Sommer Symposion in Vienna.
Video Art, Installations and Photography
Since 2008 she creates video art, installations and photography. Her work was presented in group exhibitions: the Photoville Festival in New York, the Sirius Gallery in Tokyo, the International Athens Video Art Festival, Stedelijk Museum on tour in Amsterdam, the Red Stamp Art Gallery in Amsterdam, Oude Raadhuis in Aalsmeer, Louvre in Paris, Redleaf Gallery in London, Swiss Art Space in Lausanne, the Aleatoric Art Gallery in Houston, the Affordable Art Fair in London, Media Museum in Pescara, Museo Le Piccole Cisterne in Forno, Biennale Le Latitudini dell Arte, Palazzo Ducale in Genova and Pulchri in The Hague, F is For Feminism Hyperflexion Contemporary Art Gallery in South Africa. Her work was also presented in solo-exhibitions: Image & I-magic at location, Frauensehnsucht in Loods 6, Snowwhite & Sherazade in Arti et Amicitiae and Atria, Lost in Transition in the Red Stamp Art Gallery, all in Amsterdam.
In 2010 Schippers was the main artist in the International Women Art Festival in Aleppo (Syria).
GUP Award (Guide Unique Photography) Ellen Schippers Photo Talent 2014
Photo Books
7 Faces of Women: Art Fashion, Paranymf, Amsterdam 2023
7 Faces of Women: Art Photography, Paranymf, Amsterdam 2021
7 Faces of Women: Wearable Sculptures, Paranymf, Amsterdam 2020
Press
The Dutch television shows Het Klokhuis, Backstage, AT5 Special Report, Rok&Rol, RTL4 Middageditie, SBS6, Veronica broadcasted specials, portraying Ellen Schippers work. Interviews on Dutch television as well as abroad: Tineke, Catherine, Spijkers, Breakfast TV Club, Firma Onrust VPRO, Studio NL, Union Libre (France 2), German Nightshow, NDR 3 and Klim Op (BRT).
Ellen Schippers had her own Talkshow with fashion designers on Salto and was interviewed herself on the radio shows Radio Vitrine, Veronica and VPRO Radio.
The presentation of her Performance Theatre Metamorfose was an item on the Dutch RTL News show and Seven Faces of Women embellished the cover of the Uitkrant.
Ellen Schippers has been interviewed by daily newspapers and monthlies: Volkskrant, Parool, Trouw, Nieuws van de Dag, Algemeen Dagblad, De Groene Amsterdammer, de Telegraaf, de Waarheid, Spits and HP/De Tijd. Articles and photo reports also appeared in magazines: Uitkrant, Avantgarde, Elle, Marie Claire, Beau Monde, Cosmopolitan, Couturekrant, Viva, HP, Laurens, Gaykrant, Oor, Vinyl, Homologie, Sek, Zij aan Zij, Textielvisie, Spits, One, Strictly, de Groene Amsterdammer, Time-Out, Haarlems Dagblad, Rotterdams Dagblad, Textilia and Roof. The Italian Marie Claire, Donna, Dove, the English Skin Two, the American Mondo 2000 and the Spanish Dodo Magazine featured Ellen Schippers work.
Assignments for theater, movies and celebrities
She did design art fashion and wearable sculptures for the Staatsoper in Dresden, Introdans, Corpus Acrobatic Dance Theatre, Made in Da Shade, I-Compani, Dolly Bellefleur, Ellen ten Damme, Marynka Nicolai, Nance, Sylvana, Robine van de Meer, Marianne Timmer, Maartje van Weegen and Justin Bieber in Madame Tussaud in Amsterdam does wear an Ellen Schippers Design. For a video clip of Racoon and for the movies Lost in Amsterdam by Pim de la Parra and Loos by Theo van Gogh.
She did also design wearable sculptures for the galleries Novanta Nove and Galerie Sothmann in Amsterdam. And for the Hairshow of Spectrum wearable sculptures of Hair.
Collaboration
Schippers did collaborated in projects with various artists such as Penck, Mirko Krabbe and Peter Giele; the poets George Moorman and Arthur Lava; the composers Bo van de Graaf (I-Compani) and Hans Asselbergs.
Photographers
Her designs have been photographed by a.o. Erwin Olaf, Wim van de Hulst, Cindy Marler, Angele Etoundi Essamba, Roy Tee, Fran van der Hoeven.
Lectures
Hoge School van Amsterdam, Mode Lyceum Amsterdam, Amfi, Bond van Kleermakers, UvA about Art & Gender for political science and gender studies, the small Mosse lecture about Art & Gender for the UvA, Atria, Hivos and the International Womens Art Festival in Aleppo.
Masterclasses
For students of the HvA and Aleppo during the International Women Art Festival.
Art Theater
2003 – I dreamed of living slowly with poetry, Vondelpark Openluchttheater
2003 – Seven Faces of Women in cooperation with poet Arthur Lava, Panama Amsterdam
2002 – ArtFashionTheatre, de Kunstenaars Salon with poet Arthur Lava, Maison Descartes
2001 – De Broerekerk in cooperation with restaurant De Librije, Zwolle
2000 – Roze Zaterdag, Vondelpark Openluchttheater, Amsterdam
1999 – Metamorfose, Escape Amsterdam
1998 – Hairshow of Spectrum, Escape Amsterdam
1998 – Vondelpark Openluchttheater, Amsterdam
1995 – Hippodrome Theatre, London
1994 – Marcanti, Amsterdam
1993 – Indecent Decennium, de Kleine Komedie, Amsterdam
1992 – Charity Evening Ball, London
1990 – Zoo Garten, Wuppertal
1990 – World Science Fiction Congress, The Hague
1990 – Roze zaterdag, Zwolle
1990 – Kunstmanifestatie Haagse Zomer, The Hague
1990 – Kleding, Kunst & Erotiek, Mazzo, Amsterdam
1988 – Das Wiener Sommer Symposiom, an Art Festival in Vienna
1986 – Skintight, de Brakke Grond, Amsterdam
1985 – Fashion & Art, Mazzo, Amsterdam
1985 – Festival van de Verleiding, Melkweg, Amsterdam
Performances with Wearable Sculptures
2008 – Bal du Masque, Amsterdam
2007 – Supperclub, Amsterdam
2006 – Women in Paradise, Paradiso
2003 – De Hart Club, Panama Amsterdam
2001 – Homo-monument
2001 – ArtFashionTheatre with George Moorman en Hans Asselberg, Studio Grasland, Haarlem
2001 – ArtFashionTheatre, Kunstenaars Salon de Derde Verdieping, Amsterdam
1999 – Canal Parade, Gay Pride in Amsterdam
1998 – Klap op de Vuurpijl in coöperation with I-Compani, Werktheater, Amsterdam
1998 – 3-day Festival, De Melkweg, Amsterdam
1994 – Art Festival, Cologne
1994 – Literary Festival de Bezige Bij in de Melkweg, Amsterdam
1988 – Dressing for Pleasure, Hilton New York
1986 – Dressing for Pleasure, Hilton New York
1984 – Art Auction, Meervaart with Marcel van Dam, Amsterdam
1983 – Manipulaties III, Shaffy Theater, Galery Sponz, Melkweg, Vondelpark Openluchttheater
1982 – Manipulaties I & II, Vondelpark Openluchttheater, Melkweg and De Vrije Vloer in Utrecht
1981 – NRC pand, Amsterdam
Video Art, Installations and Photos (Group Exhibitions)
2024- Wrapped in Silence, MenM Gallery, Amsterdam
2024 – Rituals, Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello, Venice, Italy
2021 – Biennale Le Latitudini dell Arte, Studio Pulchri, The Hague
2019 – Biennale Le Latitudini dell Arte, Palazzo Ducale in Genova, Italy
2019 – F is For Feminism, Hyperflexion Contemporary Art Gallery, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
2018 – The Body Link, Red Stamp Art Gallery, Amsterdam
2017 – Uncut II, the collection of Barbara van Ittersum, Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam
2016 – Thresholds with Christian Zanotto and Louisa Mazza, Red Stamp Art Gallery, Amsterdam
2016 – Lost in Transition at PX, Volendam
2016 – Archeology of communication, Museo Le Piccole Cisterne in Forno, Italy
2016 – Media Museum in Pescara, Italy
2016 – Oxford International Art Fair with Art Heerenveen Art Gallery
2015 – Amsterdam International Art Fair with Art Heerenveen Art Gallery, Beurs van Berlage
2015 – See Me, digital presentation at Louvre, Paris
2014 – Art Square Amsterdam
2014 – De Kring, Summer Exhibition, Amsterdam
2014 – Keep on Dreaming, Sirius Gallery, Tokyo
2014 – Keep on Dreaming, Amstel Gallery, Amsterdam
2013 – The Redleaf Gallery, London
2013 – New Dutch Photography Talent 2, GUP Gallery, Amsterdam
2013 – Keep on Dreaming, Photoville Festival, New York
2013 – Autumn Joy, Oude Raadhuis, Aalsmeer
2013 – The Redleaf Gallery, London
2013 – The Affordable Art Fair, London
2012 – The Redleaf Gallery, London
2012 – The Aleatoric Art Gallery, Houston
2012 – Video Sherazade at the Athens International Video Art Festival
2012 – Affordable Art Fair, London
2012 – Swiss Art Space, Lausanne
2011 – The Redleaf Gallery, London
2011 – Galerie Espace Enny, Laag Keppel, sound installation with artist Relly Tarlo
2010 – International Women Art Festival in Aleppo, Syria
2010 – Women Inc. Festival in Amsterdam
2010 – Silent Cry, Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam
2009 – Video Art & Gender, Stedelijk Museum on tour, Amsterdam
Video Art, Installations and Photos (Solo Exhibitions)
2017 – Lost in Transition, The Red Stamp Art Gallery, Amsterdam
2014 – Snowwhite & Sherazade, Atria (Institute on gender equality), Amsterdam
2012 – Snowwhite & Sherazade, Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam
2010 – Frauensehnsucht, Loods 6, Amsterdam
2008 – Image & I-magic on location, Amsterdam
2002 – Installation in Club Panama, Amsterdam
Biography
1955 – Ellen Schippers, Amsterdam the Netherlands
1973-1977 – Education at Academie de Schans, Textile Art, Amsterdam
1977-1981 – Education at Vrije Academie, Fashion, Textile and Performance Art, The Hague
1981 – Started working as a designer and performance artist
1981 – Started Performances with wearable sculptures
1985 – Started her business Ellen Schippers Design
1986-1987 – Education at the Rotterdamse Snijschool
2002-2003 – Education at Open Studio, Video, Amsterdam
2007-2008 – Education at Universiteit van Amsterdam, Gender studies
2008 – Started with Videos, Photos and Installations
2008 – Art&Fashion: a talk show on local Radio
2018 – You Tube Channel 7 Faces of Women