Leonor Jonker

zine , to write , Publication , Literary , History , D.I.Y , Decolonization , collage , Autobiographical , Archives

In my work I investigate the connections between materiality, memory and meaning, including in practices around statues, places, human remains, collections and (colonial) objects. I am interested in 'shape-shifting' objects such as these move through time and space: an ordinary object can thus become a cherished heirloom; a museum object a problematic reminder of colonial abuses.

I explore this theme in collages, (analogue) photography, text and geriso printed zines. Collecting is an integral part of my working process: I collect paper archive material such as clippings, letters and old brochures, heirlooms, souvenirs and personal objects. My collages are a physical translation of the layers of meaning attached to such objects and an investigation into the (im) possibilities of de- and reconstructing existing (visual) material.

Tracing Acker
Tracing Acker - Autobiographical installation around the Kathy Acker Reading Room in the exhibition 'Blood, Guts, and Anarchy: The Work of Kathy Acker' in West The Hague (February 28, 2026 to February 28, 2027).
Tracing Acker (detail)
Tracing Acker (detail) - Plagiarism upon plagiarism: traced illustrations from the coffee table book Yoshitoshi. Kathy Acker owned the same book and traced the same illustrations for 'In Memoriam to Identity' (1990).
You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory
You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory - Commissioned work for the group exhibition 'Virginia Chihota - A Visit to the Other' at Dat Bolwerck, Zutphen (April 19 to June 29, 2025). Various artists were invited to create a new work in response to a drawing by Virginia Chihota. On the right is my collage; on the left is the source drawing by Chihota.
Objects of Desire - Solo exhibition in HOK Gallery, The Hague. Photo by Bertus Gerssen.
Object of Desire 15 - Theepot en melkkan / Object of Desire 12 - Kraankan, analoge collages, 2022
'Gazes', installatie met collages, tekeningen en objecten in De Aanschouw, 2022.
Gaze 1 / Gaze 2, collages, 2020
Solotentoonstelling When Memories Become Dreams in het Zuid-Afrikahuis, Amsterdam, 2020-2021
Protea – S. African flora / Tobacco going to sheds, gemanipuleerde doka-afdrukken van lantaarnplaatjes, 2020
Schnittserie X / Schnittserie XI / Schnittserie XII, collages, 2019
Delikatessen / Vochtige schoonmaakdoekjes, 2019 - Two risoprinted zines, unfolded (detail)

Een bezoek aan de ander

Date:
Location: Dat Bolwerck

I was commissioned to respond to a 'source drawing' by Zimbabwean artist Virginia Chihota with new work. The exhibition is a variation on cadavre exquis, in which approximately 15 artists complete their 'response' on the spot or hand it in as soon as it is finished. The exhibition will be complete on 18 May.

https://www.datbolwerck.nl/agenda/virginia-chihota---een-bezoek-aan-de-ander

De grensverleggende kracht van collage in het werk van Martha Colburn

Date:
Location: Dat Bolwerck

Lecture on collage, transgression and the work of Martha Colburn. On Frankenstein, punk, Wunderkammers, vandalism, gouged eyes, glue blobs and serrated shears. With examples from art history, the street and from my own work.

https://www.datbolwerck.nl/agenda/lezing-de-grensverleggende-kracht-van-collage-in-het-werk-van-martha-colburn---door-leonor-faber-jonker

Rats on Rafts - Deep Below Listening Party

Date:
Location: Galerie Weisbard
In association with: Jasmijn Slegh, Rats on Rafts

During this listening party + pop-up exhibition we presented the photozine 'Reel to Reel. The analogue sound of Rats on Rafts', with photos by Jasmijn Slegh of the analogue recording process of Rats on Rafts. I wrote the texts and published the zine with SAGO Press. In the exhibition Jasmijn Slegh's photos were shown next to artwork by Viktor Hachmang and my collage of Slegh's photos.

https://ratsonrafts.com

Kunstambassade Expo in De Doelen

Date:
Location: De Doelen

Group exhibition with artists affiliated with the Kunstambassade.

Minny Pops Stockholm_1974 Happening

Date:
Location: Losdok
In association with: Wally van Middendorp, Minny Pops

For the new Minny Pops record, Stockholm_1974 I made a series of 6 collages (one for each song). The limited edition LP comes with a set of Riso prints of these collages. The record was presented with a 'shindig' in London and a 'happening' in Amsterdam. In London I exhibited these and other collages; in Amsterdam I exhibited the collages with photos I made during the Minny Pops tour in 2012.

Minny Pops Stockholm_1974 Shindig

Date:
Location: The Chapel, St. Margaret's House

For the new Minny Pops record, Stockholm_1974 I made a series of 6 collages (one for each song). The limited edition LP comes with a set of Riso prints of these collages. The record was presented with a 'shindig' in London and a 'happening' in Amsterdam. In London I exhibited these and other collages; in Amsterdam I exhibited the collages with photos I made during the Minny Pops tour in 2012.

Kunstambassade Expo tijdens South Explorer

Date:
Location: De Hillevliet

Group exhibition of artists affiliated with the Kunstambassade in the old gymnasium of De Hillevliet.

Ruw!

Date:
Location: HOK Gallery

Pop-up exhibition and presentation of the sixth issue of the artist magazine Ruw! and the collaborative project The Great Drawing.

Table Top Museums

Date:
Location: Art Workers' Guild

I presented my 'Table Top Museum' of inherited objects from Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) at the Art Workers' Guild Open House.

https://www.artworkersguild.org/media/4192/table-top-museums-2023.pdf

Kunstambassade Expo tijdens Go West

Date:
Location: Borgerstraat 24

Group exhibition of artists affiliated with the Kunstambassade. 'Temporal Pincer Movement' is a combination of an inherited coat hanger and a cuddly toy from Hema. 'The past holds the present firmly in its grip'.

Art’s 1.000.060th Birthday

Date:
Location: HOK Gallery

Fluxus-inspired multiples exhibition on the occasion of the '1.000.060th anniversary of art'. I presented the photocopied series 'Where Balthasar Gerards fired his fatal shot'.

3 Tage für die Katz

Date:
Location: KHB Studio's

Inclusive group exhibition curated by Lydia Mojzis. I presented an analogue photo collage entitled 'Eine Sekunde erstreckt sich'.

Objects of Desire

Date:
Location: HOK Gallery

Solo exhibition including my new series 'Objects of Desire'. For this series I distorted images from the catalog of an art and antiques fair, as a way to appropriate these status-enhancing objects.

Gazes in De Aanschouw

Date:
Location: Café de Schouw

At the invitation of curator Anne Kolbe, I was allowed to take care of the 1.091st change in De Aanschouw. I present an installation with collages, drawings and objects.

https://www.aanschouw.nl

Quick and dirty (World Collage Day)

Date:
Location: HOK Gallery

Together with Lula Valletta I curated a 'quick & dirty' pop-up exhibition as part of World Collage Day. With collages by Woody van Amen, Martha Colburn, Lula Valletta, Hester Scheurwater, Leonor Faber-Jonker, Marjolijn van der Meij and Dr. Niehoff.

https://www.hokgallery.com/world-collage-day/

WG Expert Meeting Collecting Otherwise

Date:
Location: Het Nieuwe Instituut

Presentation of my research into an inherited collection of objects from Southern Rhodesia in the context of Collecting Otherwise.

https://collectingotherwise.hetnieuweinstituut.nl/en

Artist Talk

Date:
Location: University of KwaZulu-Natal

Online presentation about my work at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Centre of Visual Arts).

When Memories Become Dreams

Date:
Location: Zuid-Afrikahuis

Solo exhibition with darkroom prints of damaged lantern slides from the collection of the South Africa House. By manipulating the prints, I wanted to depict the deformation through the ravages of time. In the darkroom the encyclopaedic images of South Africa at the beginning of the 20th century turned into abstract, alienating images.

https://www.zuidafrikahuis.nl/product/expositie-when-memories-become-dreams-met-leonor-faber-jonker/

L'Age d'Or presents: In Hysteria

Date:
Location: Kunst Kan...

Group exhibition with surrealistic collages by female artists.

Rip It Up! The Edge of DIY Aesthetics

Date:
Location: WORM

Presentation about my zines, punk and DIY aesthetics at Zine Camp 2019.

https://zinecamp2019.hotglue.me/talks

Schnittserie. Anatomy of a Collection

Date:
Location: HOK Gallery

Pop-up solo exhibition with collages from the Schnitt series, for which I made use of an existing collection of clippings. An investigation into the layers of meaning of inherited material, creating a dialogue between my own actions and the choices of the original collector.

https://www.hokgallery.com/leonor-faber-jonker/

VOID

Date:
Location: Neurotitan

Graukunst group exhibition as part of Grauzone Festival. I presented collages from the 'Schnittserie'.

https://www.grauzonefestival.nl/graukunst-1

Boulevard du Nord

Date:
Location: Zwart-Janstraat

Group exhibition during Route du Nord. I showed works from the Afrikanerland photo series.

Cutting Edge

Date:
Location: Gallery Fata Morgana

Collage group exhibition on the occasion of the release of Prophit #2: Punk.

http://prophit-artzine.blogspot.com/p/cutting-edge-exhibition.html

Salon d'Hiver

Date:
Location: ZERP Galerie

Winter salon with works by artists associated with the gallery & guests.

This artist has no awards yet.