Biografie
© Shijni Otani
© Shijni Otani

Ruth van Beek (b. 1977) lives and works in Koog aan de Zaan, the Netherlands. In her work, she explores the relationship between photography and the photographed object, and photography when it itself becomes an object. It is driven by the idea that things possess agency, that objects influence one another and the world around them. Van Beek approaches ordinary things through a consciously naïve, almost childlike gaze. Her practice consists of collages, constellations of archival images, artist’s books, and small handmade objects.

 

Works have been shown internationally with exhibitions at Mbal (CH); Casino Luxembourg ( LU ); Fotokino ( FR ); Mutty (IT); Post Books (JP); The Ravestijn Gallery (NL); De Warande (België); Fraenkel Gallery (VS); Foam (NL); Vague (JP); Asama International Photofestival (JP); Luma Arles FR); Fotomuseum Antwerpen (BE); Arter Museum (TR) en Photo Elysée (CH).

 

Work has been featured in magazines such as Hanatsubaki Magazine, Mother Tongue, De Gids, The New Yorker, Vogue Magazine, Centrefold Magazine, Foam Magazine, IMA Magazine, The British Journal of Photography, The New York Review of Books, The Aperture Photobook Review, De Standaard, Elephant Magazine, Zeit Magazine, en The New York Times.

 

She has published numerous artist books, including ‘ The Arrangement’ (RVB Books, 2013), which was shortlisted for the Aperture Photobook of the Year Award in 2014, “The Cast” ( New Documents, 2017 ), and ‘How To Do The Flowers’(APE & Dashwood Books, 2018), to widespread acclaim. Her most recent books are ‘Eldorado’ ( 2020 ) and “The Oldest Thing” (2023), both published at Van Zoetendaal Publishers. The Oldest Thing was shortlisted for the Aperture Photobook of the Year 2023. Since 2014, she has taught at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. Ruth is represented by The Ravestijn Gallery in Amsterdam.

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Exposities
Kunstwerken
  • Ruth van Beek, Foot ( figure 248 enlarged ), 2026
    Foot ( figure 248 enlarged ), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Foot (Figure 243), 2026
    Foot (Figure 243), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Head (Figure 166 enlarged), 2026
    Head (Figure 166 enlarged), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Head (Figure 196), 2026
    Head (Figure 196), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Leg (Figure 193), 2026
    Leg (Figure 193), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Leg (Figure 227), 2026
    Leg (Figure 227), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Shoes (Figure 216), 2026
    Shoes (Figure 216), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (Figure 182), 2026
    Untitled (Figure 182), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (Figure 191), 2026
    Untitled (Figure 191), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (Figure 194), 2026
    Untitled (Figure 194), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (Figure 212), 2026
    Untitled (Figure 212), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (Figure 214), 2026
    Untitled (Figure 214), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (Figure 238), 2026
    Untitled (Figure 238), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (Figure 244), 2026
    Untitled (Figure 244), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (Figure 245), 2026
    Untitled (Figure 245), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (Figure 250), 2026
    Untitled (Figure 250), 2026
  • Ruth van Beek, Head (Figure 167), 2025
    Head (Figure 167), 2025
  • Ruth van Beek, Doll, standing (figure 151), 2024
    Doll, standing (figure 151), 2024
  • Ruth van Beek, Bowl (Figure 146), 2023
    Bowl (Figure 146), 2023
  • Ruth van Beek, Bowl (figure 148)2023_RVB, 2023
    Bowl (figure 148)2023_RVB, 2023
  • Ruth van Beek, Doily (Figure 138, enlarged), 2023
    Doily (Figure 138, enlarged), 2023
  • Ruth van Beek, Table with bowls, plates and cuts (1), 2023
    Table with bowls, plates and cuts (1), 2023
  • Ruth van Beek, Table with bowls, plates and cuts (4), 2023
    Table with bowls, plates and cuts (4), 2023
  • Ruth van Beek, Table with bowls, plates and cuts (6), 2023
    Table with bowls, plates and cuts (6), 2023
  • Ruth van Beek, Table with bowls, plates and cuts (7), 2023
    Table with bowls, plates and cuts (7), 2023
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (figure 150), 2023
    Untitled (figure 150), 2023
  • Ruth van Beek, Blue (Figure 112), 2022
    Blue (Figure 112), 2022
  • Ruth van Beek, Doily (Figure 135), 2022
    Doily (Figure 135), 2022
  • Ruth van Beek, Doily (figure 136), 2022
    Doily (figure 136), 2022
  • Ruth van Beek, Doily (figure 137), 2022
    Doily (figure 137), 2022
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (figure 106), 2022
    Untitled (figure 106), 2022
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (figure 115), 2022
    Untitled (figure 115), 2022
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (Figure 134), 2022
    Untitled (Figure 134), 2022
  • Ruth van Beek, Untitled (figure 141), 2022
    Untitled (figure 141), 2022
  • Ruth van Beek, Frame (Figure 72), 2021
    Frame (Figure 72), 2021
  • Ruth van Beek, The Levitators, 2013
    The Levitators, 2013
Art Fairs
Publications
Press