Diederik Schneemann

Diederik Schneeman

Diederik Schneemann, born in 1979 in Hasselt, Belgium, and raised in Maastricht, is a Dutch designer whose work reflects the essence of Dutch design’s innovative spirit. A graduate of AKI ArtEZ Academy of Art & Design in the Netherlands, Schneemann has developed a distinctive approach that combines art, design, and material experimentation. His creations often explore themes of sustainability, repurposing, and cultural commentary, exemplifying the boundary-pushing creativity and thoughtful resourcefulness characteristic of Dutch design.

In 2011 he made his debut with his first solo exhibition A Flip Flop Story during Milan Design Week. In 2013 he presented his 3-D Mash Up collection, in 2018 the Rubdish photo series and since 2019 his Cherished collections.

He has been creating distinct, evocative works for more than a decade. Contributing to, and expanding the typical generation of Dutch design. Diederik Schneemann engages in a variety of disciplines: conceptual art/design, photography and art installations. His work is characterized by a strong apprehensible conceptual approach in combination with a unique use of materials. He often re-uses items that carry a certain ‘something’, reveal stories, call upon an emotion, or trigger early memories and sentiments. By altering their looks and their use in such a way that a new concept and a second life is created, thus evoking a new unexpected reality.
Resulting in unique pieces that surpass aesthetics and function alone and possess an inherent beauty. Schneemann’s aims is to create meaningful autonomous works that outlive our short presence on this earth.

Cherished collection:

Cherished is Diederik Schneemann’s project revolving around the concept of collecting. In search of new interesting materials to work with, Schneemann stumbled upon some old, discarded and unique collections cherished by people in the course of many years, often decades. Such hidden collections, like framed paintings, cigar bands, matchboxes, pins, postcards, smurfs or perfume bottles represent a different kind of value than expensive materials such as marble or bronze. Think love, effort, dedication, the evocation of an era, bringing up sentiments and early memories. A material of unmeasurable value you could say. These collections used as a raw material turned out to be a much more inspiring for him to work with. Schneemann looks for a unique quality in collected items and showcases them in a number of entirely new design pieces, thus rendering a new reality, a new meaning.

Collections part of the Cherished project so far: Cigar Bands, Paintings, Lenticular, Matchboxes, Perfume, Smurfs and Happy Meal.

Artistic Legacy
Schneemann’s work reflects a deep engagement with sustainability, memory, and storytelling. His objects transcend pure aesthetics, often carrying with them the histories of their materials, whether that be discarded flip-flops or long-cherished collections. Through his innovative use of materials and his conceptual depth, Schneemann continues to expand the boundaries of Dutch design.

Education

• AKI Academy of Art & Design (ArtEZ), Enschede, The Netherlands – 3D Design

Collections

• MOYA, Netherlands
• PAN Amsterdam, PAD Paris, Nomad St. Moritz, and Collectible Brussels