Teeth, bottles, pliers, plants. These objects are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for my work. My name is Merel Wendt (1999), an illustrator and printmaker currently based in Groningen, the Netherlands. I share a screen print studio with the four other members of Purple Carrot Collective.

I often find myself playing with context. By composing non-related objects into a new order or setting, they start interacting in a surreal, strange way. They have the ability to come to life, and by testing the boundaries of their shapes, colors and textures, I’m constantly reshaping them into new characters for my analogue illustrations, lithographs and screen prints.

I recently graduated with the project PFAND, a project about the Berliner Pfandsammler*innen and their bottle collection.  PFAND is currently exhibited at Manifestatie Jong at Gallery DSG in Assen and DAD Design Stories in Groningen and will soon be on show at the Dutch Design Week.

Education:

• 2017-2021: BA Illustration and Animation Design, Academy Minerva Groningen, Cum Laude
  

• 2020: Internship at Nino Bulling, Berlin

• 2016-2017: Pre-course Art and Design, ArtEZ Zwolle

Exhibitions and projects:

Currently or soon:

• DAD Design Stories, Groningen, 1 sept-31 dec
  

• Manifestatie Jong, Gallery DSG Assen 3 sept-31 okt 

• IJswee, CBK Emmen, 2 oct-14 nov 

• Dutch Design Week, Klokgebouw Eindhoven, 16-24 oct

  
  

Past:

• 2021 Detour, Graduation show Academy Minerva

• 2020 Channeled, The Waterhouse Gallery, Groningen

• 2020 Like a Virgin, Galerie H200 Groningen
  

• 2019 Panta Rhei, Grafiek2019 & Forma Aktua Groningen

• 2019 Illustratie57, Groningen (side events, curation and organising seminars)

• 2019 Grafiek in de Kerk, Woltersum

• 2018 Cross Comix, Rotterdam (nominated for the student price)

• 2018 Allie van Altena Farewell Exhibition, Groningen

Selected clients:

• Essay Skate Magazine

• Stichting Poëziepaleis

• FNV Groningen

• Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

• UMCG