Raquel van Haver | 1989 | Bogota, Colombia
Raquel van Haver is a multidisciplinary artist based between Amsterdam and Colombia, whose practice spans painting, sculpture, and installation. Known for her use of unconventional materials—such as oil, tar, ash, chalk, and found objects—her works are rich, tactile narratives that explore memory, community, and identity.
In addition to painting, Van Haver incorporates a variety of materials and media, including wood veneer, glass, collage, sound, video installations, and digital work. Her process begins with listening: to stories, to silence, to what has been remembered and passed down through generations. Through this approach, she builds visual archives of lived experiences that might otherwise be forgotten over time.
Her work focuses on transitions, challenges, and the celebration of resilience. She is particularly drawn to visual storytelling through painting, addressing themes such as migration, spirituality, folklore, and collective memory—bridging deeply personal stories with broader cultural and political narratives.
Alongside her studio practice and research, Raquel frequently collaborates with artists and collectives on a global scale.
“The real libraries of the world are kept by the storytellers of communities.
Only the stories that are remembered survive.”
— Raquel van Haver
Functions & positions
Mentoring for the Mondriaan Foundation
Board member of Holland Festival
CAWA commission member
Founder of 21e Eeuwse Groepsportretten Foundation
Jury member, Dutch national TV program De Nieuwe Rembrandt
Professor in Fine Arts | Gerrit Rietveld Academie | Amsterdam | NL
Founder of Studio Raquel van Haver
Founder of Glasslab Titambe
Education
2008 – 2012
Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (HKU), Utrecht, the Netherlands – BA Fine Arts
2006 – 2008
Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, the Netherlands – BA Fine Arts
Represented by
2023 – Present
David Krut Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa / New York, USA
2020 – Present
Kersgallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2020 – Present
ARTCO Gallery, Berlin, Germany / South Africa
2015 – 2020
Jack Bell Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2012 – 2017
WELIKEART, Haarlem, Netherlands
Art collectives
2023
Aliwaa Collective
2016
Folktales and Taboos – in collaboration with Admire Kamudzengerere
2015
DRAWMENEARER
Solo shows
2025
The Collateral Kin – Amsterdam Museum × Amsterdam 750 Jaar × H’ART Museum | Amsterdam, NL
Toevluchtsoord, The Grid – Union Espacio para Artistas × Charles Moore | Mexico City (CDMX), MX
2024
Rund-halle – Galerie Wedding | Berlin, GE
2023 – 2027
GlassLab Titamba: Tamale and the Alleged Witch-Camps – Red Clay Studio | Tamale, GH
2023
Airising Phoenix – David Krut Gallery | New York City, USA
Textile Museum | Tilburg, NL
Gasunie | Groningen, NL
2021
Kersgallery | Amsterdam, NL
ARTCO Gallery | Berlin, GE / SA
2020
Amo a la Reina – Bonnefanten Museum | Maastricht, NL
Amo a la Reina (Prints) – Museo Bolivariano | Santa Marta, CO
2019
1101 – Delirium – Jack Bell Gallery | London, UK
2018
Spirits of the Soil – Stedelijk Museum | Amsterdam, NL
2017
De Scheffer – Dordrechts Museum | Dordrecht, NL
Shrine of a Deity – African Artists’ Foundation | Lagos, NI
Definition of a System – Jack Bell Gallery | London, UK
2016
Folktales and Taboos – with Admire Kamudzengerere
Hookers in Toilets // Dancehall Version Explicit | Amsterdam, NL
Doggiestyle – Jack Bell Gallery | London, UK
2015
DRAWMENEARER
Metro 54 – Jack Bell Gallery | London, UK
Ruwe Bolsters – Galerie 23 / SBK | Amsterdam, NL
Group shows
2021
Group show | Raquel van Haver, Felix de Rooij, Rabi Koria, Iris Kensmil | Kersgallery | NL
Voices of fashion | Centraal museum Utrecht | Utrecht | NL
Marc. Chagall and contemporary artists in between worlds | KRONA | Uden | NL
The roaring Twenties | Museum Kranenburgh | Bergen | NL
2020
NOW LOOK HERE | Amsterdam | NL
Unfair | Amsterdam | NL
Breda photo festival | Breda | NL
Prelude to the Biennia| Exhibition | Casa seat | Barcelona | SP
Amsterdam museum | Amsterdam | NL
Arti Amicitea | Menselijke portretten | Amsterdam | NL
2019
Oscam | Amsterdam | NL
Most Wanted | Museum volkenkunde | Leiden | NL
2018
Royal Award for Modern Painting | Koninklijk Paleis op de Dam | Amsterdam | NL
Wolvecampprijs | ROC van Twente | Hengelo | NL
Young Utrecht Delight | Galerie SANAA | Utrecht | NL
De Meest Eigentijdse Schilderijen Tentoonstelling | Dordrechts Museum | Dordrecht | NL
Folktales & Taboos | Galerie 23/SBK, CBK Zuidoost and Thami Mnyele | Amsterdam | NL
2017
Salon | Arti Amicitea | Amsterdam | NL
Latin American Cartographies | BOZAR | Brussels | BE
Closer to the Sun | Amsterdam | NL
House of Arts | Kunstlinie Almere Flevoland (KAF) | Almere | NL
Quest icw Ighsaan Adams | Park | Tilburg | NL
Tell no tales and taboos | icw Admire Kamudzengerere and Dzimbanethe project space | gallery 23 and SBK Amsterdam | NL
2016
Carnival around the World | Afrika Museum | Berg en Dal | NL
Royal Award for Modern Painting | Koninklijk Paleis op de Dam | Amsterdam| NL
Opium torenkamer festival | Amsterdam | NL
InchxInch | David Krut Projects | Johannesburg | SA
Tell no tales and taboos | icw Admire Kamudzengerere and Dzimbanethe project space | Galerie 23/SBK | Amsterdam | NL
Europese unie | library | royal club | Brussels | BE
PaperWorks | Draw Me Nearer | WM Gallery | Amsterdam | NL
2015
Size matters | WLA | Enschede | NL
DRAWMENEARER | Amsterdam | NL
Ancestral Blues, The State of L3, curators Vincent van Velsen and Shaheen Merali | Framer Framed | Amsterdam | NL
Sanquin | Amsterdam | NL
Mom | CBK-Zuid Oost | Amsterdam | NL
Scribble for Life | TAC | Eindhoven | NL
Fairs
2024
UNSEEN | Amsterdam, NL
Art Rotterdam | Kersgallery | Rotterdam, NL
2023
Unfair | Amsterdam, NL
Art Rotterdam | Kersgallery | Rotterdam, NL
2022
Art Rotterdam | Kersgallery | Rotterdam, NL
Loop Festival | Overart | Barcelona, SP
Cape Town Art Fair | ARTCO Gallery | South Africa
Art Rotterdam | Kersgallery | Rotterdam, NL
2021
Art Zuid | Netherlands
Positions | ARTCO Gallery | Berlin, GE
Paper Positions | ARTCO Gallery | Berlin, GE
AKAA | ARTCO Gallery | Paris, FR
ARCO Madrid | Movart | Spain
Basel Miami | Voice HQ | NFT | Miami, USA
2020
Unfair | Amsterdam, NL
Art Rotterdam | Kersgallery | Rotterdam, NL
Prelude to the Biennia | Exhibition | Casa Seat | Barcelona, SP
Breda Photo | Breda, NL
Paper Positions | ARTCO Gallery | Berlin, GE
Immersive Miami Beach Part 2 | Kersgallery | Scope | Miami, USA
Unfair | Amsterdam, NL
2019
Scope Miami Beach | Kersgallery | Miami, USA
2018
Art Rotterdam – Prospects and Concepts | Mondriaan Fonds | Rotterdam, NL
2016
Art Rotterdam | Netherlands
That Art Fair | Cape Town, South Africa
2015
Amsterdam Drawing | Amsterdam, NL
Projects & Residencies
2027
GlassLab Titamba X Redclay | Stichting Stokroos | Redclay | Tamale, GH
2026
GlassLab Titamba X Redclay | Stichting Stokroos | Redclay | Tamale, GH
2025
Commissioned work by Mama Florijn and the City of Amsterdam | Installation (80m x 10m) | Amsterdam, NL
GlassLab Titamba X Redclay | Stichting Stokroos | Redclay | Tamale, GH
Weaving | Aliwaa Collective | Riohacha, CO
2024
Weaving | Aliwaa Collective | Riohacha, CO
2023
David Krut Gallery | Johannesburg, SA
GlassLab Titamba X Redclay | Stichting Stokroos | Redclay | Tamale, GH (twice)
Research Cabo Verde | Fenix | NL
Beeldbepalers | De Balie | Amsterdam, NL
2022
African Art in Venice Forum | Hotel Monaco | Venice Biennale, IT
Dig Where You Stand | Ibrahim Mahama, Renzo Martens, Azu Nwagbogu | AAF Lagos, White Cube Lusanga, SSCA Tamale, ACA Amsterdam Zuid-Oost
Februaristaking | NL
Textiellab | Textiel Museum | Tilburg, NL
Weaving | Aliwaa Collective | Riohacha, CO
2021
Residency | T H’UYS, Hotel de l’Europe | Amsterdam, NL
Stadsarchief | City Painter of Amsterdam | NL
2019
Amo a la Reina | Ayara x Raquel van Haver | Bogotá, CO
AIR IBB | Workshops | CU
Flora | Bogotá, CO
2018
Residency | Kibii Foundation | Moengo, SU
Book Launch Spirits of the Soil | National Opera and Ballet Décor Workshop | Amsterdam, NL
Residency | CBK Zuid Oost | Thami Mnyele Foundation x National Gallery of Zimbabwe | Amsterdam, NL / Zimbabwe
2017
Magazine Shrine of a Deity | AAF | Lagos, NI
Residency | African Artists’ Foundation | Lagos, NI
Residency | National Gallery | Folktales and Taboos Project | Harare, ZIM
African Art in Venice Forum | Hotel Monaco | Venice Biennale, IT
Participant, Culture Summit 2017 | Abu Dhabi, UAE
Quest (duo show with Igshaan Adams, SA) | Tilburg, NL
2016
Residency | African Artists Foundation | Lagos, NI
Residency | Folktales and Taboos x National Gallery of Zimbabwe and Dzimbanhete Arts Interactions | Harare
Torenkamer NPO1 | Amsterdam, NL
More Than a Muze – International Women’s Day | MamaCash | Stedelijk Museum | Amsterdam, NL
Residency | David Krut Projects | Johannesburg, SA
2015
DRAWMENEARER | Museumnacht | Amsterdam, NL
Design | Gsus Store | Westerstraat / Magna Plaza | Amsterdam, NL
Publications
2021 | Raquel van Haver | Art catalogue about Amo a la Reina & more
2021 | New renaissance | Mendo & Avant Arte |
2020 | Movie uur van de wolf | Raquel van Haver
2020 | Amo a la reina | vinger.nl
2018 | Spirits of the soil | vinger.nl
2017 | A shrine of a deity | Raquel van Haver | African artist foundation
Nominations
Awards and Nominations
2019
Amsterdamprijs voor de Kunst – Stimulation Prize
2018
Royal Award for Modern Painting
FD Talenten 2018
Nomination Wolvecamp Prize
2017
De Schefferprijs 2017
2016
30 Under 30 Forbes List – Most Influential Young Artist under 30
Nomination Royal Award for Painting (Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst)
2015
Longlist Nomination Prix de Rome
2013
Nomination Kunstliefde Award
Nomination Royal Award for Painting (Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst)
2012
Nomination Royal Award for Painting (Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst)
Nomination Buning Brongers Award
Nomination Jan Zumbrink Award