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Laura Grimm

textile , nature , sculpting , Abstract

Laura Grimm (she/her) is a Rotterdam based sculptor. Though the forms of her sculptures are deliberately mysterious, the materials remain traceable and recognizable. The raw materials and processing methods of objects in our daily lives are often invisible. Due to her background in textiles, where raw fibers are key, Laura has a strong connection with these types of invisible processes. That is why her sculptures are made using materials such as sheep's wool, a byproduct of natural grazing. In order to get the wool Laura attends the shearing in Rotterdam after which she washes the wool in her studio, cards it and colors it with dye baths made of flowers and plants. These hand-prepared materials are full of natural power, energy and love, all of which are transferred into her sculptures.

Laura lives and works in Rotterdam. She set up her own studio in Hillegersberg and now uses this large former garage as her work space.

Your Change, Changes Everything - 2026
Your Change, Changes Everything - 2026 - exhibition View - Your Change, Changes Everything is a large multifaceted sculpture made especially for the annual Sculpture Garden at the 13th century Ruin of Ravesteyn. In the Sculpture Garden I saw that the natural surroundings are constantly in motion: leaves fall from trees, puddles of rain form and sink into the ground, the sun appears and disappears behind a cloud. For an exhibition at this location, I made a sculpture that moves and sways along with this natural rhythm. With a frame made entirely of flexible 8mm steel rod, the sculpture quivers and shakes with every gust of wind, balancing elements rock upwards and downwards. Besides external motion I also applied dynamics within the sculpture itself, by creating visual interplays between hard/ soft, abstract/ figurative and organic/ industrial. Materials are wet felted white and brown wool from sheep in Rotterdam, lanolin, sheet metal, metal rods, concrete and lacquer markers. Sizes are (large white: 2.40mx 1.20mx 1m) - (small white: 1.50mx 80cm x 70cm) - (black: 90cm x 1.90mx 60cm). This exhibition took place from 2026.05.27 - 2026.05.31
Satellite of Love, 2025
Satellite of Love, 2025 - exhibition view - this sculpture was made and presented at Het Lage Noorden in Friesland (NL) and Don't Forget To Check In at C3 Studios in Rotterdam - Satellite of Love is a large sculpture with small removable segments. During a three-month residency I discovered Dutch colors by picking, soaking, boiling and dying with local plants, the shades ranging from deep tans to golden yellows and earthy greens. The sculpture is a launchpad for small satellites colored with these local plants. People were invited to stand in one of the sculpture's crevices, then remove a satellite to bring home. These satellites now float around in people's personal lives, connecting them to my sculpture and to one another. The materials used are wet felted white wool from sheep in Rotterdam and Friesland, local plant dyes (alder bark, ivy, oak bark, dock, elder, comfrey, dandelion, nettle, wormwood, goldenrod) and willow branches. Sizes are 2.5m x 1.8m x 2m. This exhibition took place from 2026.03.26 - 2026.04.05
Satellite of Love
Satellite of Love, 2025 - detail shot - from left to right: a Satellite on the sculpture, a Satellite being taken by someone, the sculpture without its Satellite.
Participation Mystique
Participation Mystique, 2025 - exhibition view and detail shot - this sculpture was created for an exhibition at De Vishal in Haarlem (NL). Participation Mystique consists of two sculptures that stand independently but are connected by elongated protruding parts. On these parts, I needle felted letters which make up the word 'inter / being', a philosophical concept created by Thich Nhat Hanh. It describes the interconnectedness of all elements on earth: humans, animals, and nature. To physically connect people to my sculpture, I made wristbands from the same materials as the sculpture itself—wool dyed with woad, madder, cochineal, and weld. At the opening of the exhibition, I handed these wristbands out to visitors. These people were connected to my sculpture, to each other, and to the natural materials within their wristbands. The materials used are wet felted white wool from sheep in Rotterdam and natural dyes (blue woad, orange madder, yellow weld, pink cochineal) willow branches and concrete colored with charcoal. Size is 1.75 x 1.5m x 0.45m. This exhibition took place from 2025.01.11 – 2025.02.019.
Participation Mystique
Participation Mystique, 2025 - detail shot - photo of wristbands (left) and close-up of needle felted letters (right).
Smile to the Cloud in your Tea
Smile to the Cloud in your Tea, 2024 - exhibition view - this sculpture was created for the summer exhibition at sculpture garden GB5 in Rhoon (NL). The materials used are wet felted white wool from sheep in Rotterdam, natural dyes (blue indigo, orange madder and green birch leaves) and concrete. This woolen sculpture has been treated with its own lanolin, meaning it was waterproof and could hang outdoors for the three month exhibition period in the sculpture garden. Size is 4.2m x 90cm x 35cm. This exhibition took place from 2024.09.23 – 2024.09.15
Smile to the Cloud in your Tea, 2024
Smile to the Cloud in your Tea, 2024 - detail shot - photo of needle felted green, blue and orange surfaces and wet felted white sheep's wool.
Gift in Motion, 2024
Gift in Motion, 2024 - Gift in Motion was a three week collaborative project between the Chabot Museum, the Sint Michaël School, the Prins Alexander School and myself. Both schools are affiliated with the Chabot Museum due to their proximity to the place where Henk Chabot lived and worked. I set up a temporary workspace in each school. During the project students witnessed and participated in my making process, from carding and dyeing wool to the creation of final works: three wet felted wall hangings with needle felted fiber drawings. At the end of the project the two schools exchanged wall hangings during a ceremony near the Rotte gifting the completed works to one another. The materials used are wet felted white, gray and black wool from sheep in Rotterdam and natural dyes (blue indigo, orange madder, yellow weld, pink cochanille, brown chestnuts, green birch leaves and purple sweetgum bark). Sizes are approximately 1.60m x 90cm. This project took place from 2024.02.26 – 2024.03.15. The wall hangings are currently displayed at the Chabot Museum, the Sint Michaëlschool and the Prins Alexander school. Photo of exchange ceremony by Jacqueline Fuijkschot.
Gift in Motion, 2024
Gift in Motion, 2024 - In situ overview picture - one of three felted wall hangings at the Prins Alexander School in Ombloed.
Gift Receiver, 2023
Gift Receiver, 2023 - exhibition view - this sculpture was created for W139 hosts... in Amsterdam (NL). The sculpture is made of sheep's wool that I was given by shepherd Martin Oosthoek for free. I wanted to continue this chain of giving during the exhibition. To do this I invited visitors to felt their own objects using colored wool I provided, which they could then take home. During this workshop, I did not only share materials and technical skills with the participants, but also a message about the importance of natural grazing. After the workshop, everyone took their felted work home, so the message continued to resonate in their daily lives. Then I noticed something special happened, something I had not anticipated – people almost always felt something for someone else. Unintentionally the chain of giving became a little longer. The materials used are wet felted white, gray and black wool from sheep in Rotterdam, natural dyes (blue indigo, orange madder, yellow weld and purple sweetgum bark), willow branches and construction site boulders. Size is 2.8m x 2.1m x 1.65m. This exhibition took place from 2023.09.23 – 2023.10.29
Gift Receiver, 2023
Gift Receiver, 2023 - detail shot - exhibition visitor feeling their own object during the exhibition W139 hosts...
inner bloom (sculpture for the Wielewaal and its people), 2022
inner bloom (sculpture for the Wielewaal and its people), 2022 - exhibition view - this sculpture was created for and shown in Growing Space Wielewaal, Rotterdam (NL). Materials are cardboard, raw cotton (dyed using blue indigo), organic textile hardener, handmade rope (cheese cloth dyed with pink cochineal) and egg tempera (Turkish brown umber). Size is 3.20m x 2.10m x 1.20m. This exhibition took place from 2022.08.19 – 2022.08.31
inner bloom (sculpture for the Wielewaal and its people), 2022
inner bloom (sculpture for the Wielewaal and its people), 2022 - detail shot - photo of raw cotton dyed with blue indigo and formed with organic textile hardener, hand knotted rope dyed with pink cochineal.
Secret Growing, 2022
Secret Growing, 2022 - exhibition view - one of three sculptures presented during Wild Summer of Art (2022.08.06 – 2022.09.04) at Brutus in Rotterdam (NL). During a three month artist-in-residency at AGA LAB in Amsterdam I brought two distinct creative techniques together: screen printing and sculpture. Striving for oneness, all three sculptures are made from modular parts of a whole, which can be finalized together as one. Materials are screenprinted cardboard, handmade pigmented inks (chalk blue light and dark, burnt sienna and raw sienna) and handmade rope (indigo and alpaca wool). Size is 2.10mx 1.40mx 40cm.
Secret Growing, 2022
Secret Growing, 2022 - exhibition view and detail shot - two of three sculptures presented during CROMOFORO (2022.02.12 – 2022.03.05) at Kunstplatform de Apotheek in Amsterdam (NL). Sizes are 2.30mx 1.60mx 35cm (left) and 1.90mx 80cm x 40cm (right).
suspender, 2019
suspender, 2019 - exhibition view - installation created for the exhibition Ampersands at W139 in Amsterdam (NL). A custom suspension system from which all the other sculptures in the group show were hung. Each of the components of this installation were made by hand, from dyeing and knotting the ropes, to welding the wall hooks and up-cycled pulleys. Materials are raw cotton dyed with turmeric, metal and old bicycle wheels. Sizes are variable. This exhibition took place from 2019.11.22 – 2020.01.12. Photo by Ernst van Deursen.
suspender, 2019
suspender, 2019 - detail shot - wallhook with rope (left) and connection to one of the sculptures in the space (right).

Wool March

Date:
Location: March from Texel to Brussels
In association with: Cynthia Hathaway

For the Wool March 2026, I will create a special sculpture that the marchers take with them on their journey from Texel to Brussels

https://www.woolmarch.com/

Woolmarch

Date:

Beeldentuin Ravesteyn

Date:
Location: Beeldentuin Ravesteyn

Group exhibition with Luna Cordaro, Sacha Brienesse, Nicky Murphy and others

https://www.ruine-ravesteyn.nl/activiteiten/beeldentuin.html

Vergeet niet in te checken!

Date:
Location: C3-studios
In association with: CBK Rotterdam

Vergeet niet in te checken

Date:
Location: C3-studios
In association with: CBK Rotterdam

Group exhibition with Funda Baysal, Jake Caleb, Ari David and others

Satellite of Love

Date:
Location: Het Lage Noorden

Three-month artist-in-residency, kindly supported by CBK Rotterdam, the Cultural Fund, and the Bekker-la Bastide Foundation

Participation Mystique

Date:
Location: Vishal (Kleine zaal)

Group exhibition with Wilma Vissers, Mirjam Berloth, Monique Kwist and others

PLONS

Date:
Location: Maritiem Museum

Commission for an artwork displayed in the semi-permanent exhibition PLONS

Openair exhibition

Date:
Location: GB5

Group exhibition with Hilde Onis, José Jonkers, Pip Passchier and others - kindly supported by CBK Rotterdam

Gift in Motion

Date:
Location: Chabot Museum, Sint Michaël School, Prins Alexander School
In association with: Chabot Museum

Three week collaborative project between the Chabot Museum, the Sint Michaël School, the Prins Alexander School and Laura Grimm

W139 hosts...

Date:
Location: W139

Group exhibition with Birna Björnsdóttir, Laura Canha Malpique, Milena Anna Bouma and others - kindly supported by CBK Rotterdam

T-IFF

Date:
Location: Nami Ita

group exhibition

inner bloom – sculpture for the Wielewaal and its people

Date:
Location: Growing Space Wielewaal

solo exhibition

Wild Summer of Art

Date:
Location: Brutus

Group exhibition with Robin Kolleman, Kwinnie Le, Saïd Kinos and others

CROMOFORO

Date:
Location: Kunstplatform de Apotheek

Group exhibition with Esther Brakenhoff, Maarten Schuurman and Ovidiu Spaniol

Art Seeds Hirado 2021

Date:
Location: Hirado Castle

Group exhibition with Arash Fakhim, Hanen Klei and others

Volver

Date:
Location: de Bouwput

Group exhibition with Ursula Mur and Aafke Bouwman

Xaki

Date:
Location: Yokohama Civic Art Gallery

group exhibition

AGA LAB artist-in-residency

Date:
Location: AGA LAB

Three month artist-in-residency, kindly supported by Stichting Droom en Daad

room #202

Date:
Location: the White

solo exhibition

Los Angeles Rotterdam project

Date:
Location: online
In association with: Bcademie, Stichting B.a.d, HET PLAFOND, RAAR, galerie Gallery, the MADLAB studio, Pension Almonde, ODD ARK • LA, Monte Vista Projects, gallery ALSO, Acceptable Risk LA, CACtTUS, Tiger Strikes Asteroid, DXIX

Co-initiator of Los Angeles ~ Rotterdam project

Volta

Date:
Location: De Electriciteitsfabriek

Group exhibition, addition to The Savage

Birds

Date:
Location: Galerie Gallery

solo exhibition

ampersands

Date:
Location: W139

Group exhibition with Marcel van den Berg, Esther de Graaf, Sam Samiee and others

Bazar!

Date:
Location: Denchi

Group exhibition with Minami Kondo, Otoha Takenami, Tomoko Hasuwa and others

B/LA connect

Date:
Location: Kronenboden
In association with: Kronenboden and Monte Vista Projects

Group exhibition and exchange program, kindly supported by CBK Rotterdam

Living Pool 2.0

Date:
Location: Oostelijk Zwembad

Group exhibition with Franky Sticks, Jelmer Konjo, John Padrino and others

CO/LAB 4

Date:
Location: Torrence Art Museum
In association with: Monte Vista Projects

Group exhibition and exchange program, kindly supported by CBK Rotterdam

Howling Pancakes

Date:
Location: Showroom MAMA

Co-initiator of Howling Pancakes, group exhibition with Julia Aurora Guzman, Ide André, Roland Spitzer and others

http://www.howlingpancakes.nl/
This artist has no awards yet.