About Sibyl Heijnen
Born 1961. Sibyl Heijnen is a Dutch jewelry designer, textile artist and painter.
Sibyl Heijnen is a Dutch visual artist, part of the second generation after 1960. She graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 1985.
She has received many grants and awards and her art can be found in private and public collections, and at exhibitions in many countries. A highlight in her career was the event 'LOOK! Sibyl Heijnen' at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (MOMAK). Room for reflection at Museum de Fundatie, castle het Nijenhuis, Heino/Weihe NL Sibyl Heijnen is also known for her plans to transform Times Square and Broadway.
International recognition 1990: Jugend Gestaltet Preis in Munich, Germany; 1989: Selected to contribute to the 2nd International Textile Competition in Kyoto, Japan; 1992: Excellence Award at 3rd International Textile Competition in Kyoto, Japan; 2002: ArtLink@Sotheby’s International Young Art 2002 finalist. 2009: Herman Krikhaar award, Almelo, NL 2016: Excellence Award, Fibre Art Biennale, Shenzhen CN
Development Art historian and publicist Peggie Breitbarth identified three key works in Heijnen’s oeuvre up to 2007:
The two sides of the same coin 1, 1990. This work contained two miles of cotton cloth, weighed 800 kilograms and measured 220 x 240 x 40 centimeters. Textile historian and curator Mary Schoeser wrote in 2012 the book The art of mankind in which 3 works of Sibyl Heijnen are referenced. Published by Thames and Hudson. Publicist Rob Smolders wrote in 2017 an article for the catalogue for Personal Structures - Open Borders, an exhibition organised by GAA Foundation during the Venice Biennale 2017. The text is about Room for reflection, the site specific works of Sibyl Heijnen:
Work
Major solo exhibitions (selection)
Look! Sibyl Heijnen, National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto JP Moving, Gallery lebain, Kyoto JP New Beginning, Former cloister Maria ad Fontes, Ootmarsum NL Room for reflection, Museum de Fundatie, castle het Nijenhuis, Heino/Weihe NL
Major group exhibitions (selection)
Beyond Textile, National Museum of modern Art, Kyoto JP and Meguro Museum, Kyoto JP. Personal structures - Room for reflection, Venice It
Public collections (selection)
Textielmuseum, Tilburg NL Public art, Hengelo NL. Public art, Zwolle NL. Public art, Almelo NL. Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
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Important facts
People in Sibyl Heijnen's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Sibyl Heijnen's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Sibyl Heijnen?
visual artist (born 1961)
When was Sibyl Heijnen born?
Sibyl Heijnen was born on 24 March 1961 in Kerkrade.
What is Sibyl Heijnen's occupation?
Sibyl Heijnen is a jewelry designer, textile artist and painter.
What nationality is Sibyl Heijnen?
Sibyl Heijnen is Dutch.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sibyl Heijnen. https://biography.guide/sibyl-heijnen/
MLA: "Sibyl Heijnen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sibyl-heijnen/.
Chicago: "Sibyl Heijnen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sibyl-heijnen/.
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