Chiel Lubbers

Bio-designer and visual artist based in the Netherlands, motivated by resonance with rippled structures in the natural and agricultural landscape, currently developing the project 'Musculo-vegetal' which embodies analogous research, exploring the parallels between fibers in plants and human muscles tissues.

Works & Projects
Exhibitions
About
CV

email mail@chiellubbers.com
instagram @chiellubbers

Indusium in process
Fermented celery fibers

Indusium is a biocouture project that emerged from exploring the parallel between plant and human tissue fibers. Derived from the Latin word for undergarment, Indusium takes form as a corset that mirrors the body's supportive muscle and connective tissue layers which receive, store and transmit energy. The garment materializes a dialogue between physical and emotional layers, reflecting an embodied relationship in which our internal fibrous tissues resonate with and are shaped by our environment. 

Indusium explores the vegetal realm through a meditative process of carefully deconstructing celery plants. By extracting individual fibers from the stems by hand, I initiate a transformation that continues through a slow fermentation process. Each fiber is then positioned and layered by hand, creating patterns that mirror the anatomy of human muscle tissues. The garments form emerges through thousands of these carefully arranged fibers, which unite into one composition. This labor-intensive handwork connects craft methods with experimental material exploration, revealing how human and non-human can collaborate in creative work.

An Inner-act
Plant vezels, bleekselderij, snijbiet, 30 cm x 50 cm x 180 cm 

'An Inner-act' is an exploration into the analogy of protein fibers in plant material and human muscle tissue. It delves into the relationship between rippled vegetables and muscles, examining their material similarity as fibers. The shared genetic structures of DNA in living beings reveal a connection. Proteins act as threads bridging the differences between plants and humans. The project seeks the essence of humanity within its environment by giving equal importance to non-human life forms that together form an ecosystem in which we participate. The work is like a second skin, bringing the inner outwards and serving as a mirror for human observers. For this project, I have used biodynamically grown celery and chard from the region of The Hague. In this way, I aim to work locally and sustainably while promoting biodiversity.

After graduating from the Royal Academy of Art, the project 'An Inner-act' has been featured on the Future Materials Bank platform, which supports the transition to ecologically conscious art practices. 'An Inner-act' was selected for the group exhibition 'Gardening' at the historic estate of Museum Oud Amelisweerd in Bunnik.

Graduation Show 2021, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague

Other Ways of Living
Documentary Series Waterbear in collaboration with Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Future Materials Bank 
Season 1 episode 2, How We Make

All around the world, people are beginning to transition away from a linear economy. Instead of taking materials from the Earth, making them into products, and then throwing them away, new methods are being developed to keep the things we make in circulation, eliminating waste and regenerating nature in the process. This is Other Ways of Living. A show where Matt Shea, award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker, finds what's happening in the world of circularity, and whether we can apply it to our lives right now.

Alongside the WaterBear platform, I participated in the documentary series 'Other Ways of Living', released in the May of 2024. WaterBear is a platform that highlights positive solutions for our changing world. The work is presented as a biocouture garment made from patterns of protein fibers and cellulose extracted from celery. The composition brings our inner anatomy outward through the analogy of fibers inside human and vegetal tissue.

Watch Other Ways of Living. Exclusively on @waterbearnetwork
https://www.waterbear.com/watch/other-ways-of-living

@waterbearnetwork in collaboration with @ellenmacarthurfoundation

Pillar of Resonance
Plant fibers, framed with oak wood and museum glas, 179cm x 33cm x 19cm

Exhibition Musculo-vegetal at Boox.space Haarlem

The work is a human scaled translation of the Erector Spinae, a group of muscles located on both sides of the vertebral column that spans the entire length of the back from the base of the skull to the pelvis. 

Pillar of Resonance is part of the MicroMacro herbarium series that embodies analogous research, delving into the parallels between fibers in plants and human muscle tissues. Through intricate processes of dissection, fermentation, and positioning of fibers, the Alterhouse series offers a variety of scaled works, revealing the microscopic and macroscopic anatomical tissues of our intimate anatomy across different layers of our reality. The essence of MicroMacro lies in its aim to induce a meditative state, encouraging viewers to reflect on the life forms that constitute our bodies. It conveys the profound concept that we are fundamentally resonant beings intricately connected to cosmic currents.

https://alterhouse.gallery/collections/chiel-lubbers/products/pillar-of-resonance

Splenius
Plant fibers, framed with maple wood and museum glas, 32,5 cm x 19,5 cm

‘Splenius’ is a 1:1 translation of deep muscle of the neck. 

Micro Cardiac is part of the MicroMacro herbarium series that embodies analogous research, delving into the parallels between fibers in plants and human muscle tissues. Through intricate processes of dissection, fermentation, and positioning of fibers, the Alterhouse series offers a variety of scaled works, revealing the microscopic and macroscopic anatomical tissues of our intimate anatomy across different layers of our reality. The essence of MicroMacro lies in its aim to induce a meditative state, encouraging viewers to reflect on the life forms that constitute our bodies. It conveys the profound concept that we are fundamentally resonant beings intricately connected to cosmic currents.

https://alterhouse.gallery/collections/chiel-lubbers/products/splenius

Micro Cardiac
Plant fibers, framed with maple wood and museum glas, 38,5 cm x 28,5 cm

Exhibition Musculo-vegetal at Boox.space Haarlem

‘Micro Cardiac’ is a microscopic translation of the cardiac muscle which makes up de thick middle layer of the heart. 

Micro Cardiac is part of the MicroMacro herbarium series that embodies analogous research, delving into the parallels between fibers in plants and human muscle tissues. Through intricate processes of dissection, fermentation, and positioning of fibers, the Alterhouse series offers a variety of scaled works, revealing the microscopic and macroscopic anatomical tissues of our intimate anatomy across different layers of our reality. The essence of MicroMacro lies in its aim to induce a meditative state, encouraging viewers to reflect on the life forms that constitute our bodies. It conveys the profound concept that we are fundamentally resonant beings intricately connected to cosmic currents.

https://alterhouse.gallery/collections/chiel-lubbers/products/micro-cardiac

Erector Spinae
Plant fibers, framed with maple wood and museum glas, 32,5 cm x 19,5 cm

‘‘Erector spinae’ presents a scaled interpretation of the deeper muscles of the back.

Cardiac Wave
Plant fibers, framed with maple wood and museum glas, 51,5cm x 85cm 

Exhibition Musculo-vegetal at Boox.space Haarlem

The work is a microscopic translation of the cardiac muscle which makes up de thick middle layer of the heart. 

Cardiac Wave is part of the MicroMacro herbarium series that embodies analogous research, delving into the parallels between fibers in plants and human muscle tissues. Through intricate processes of dissection, fermentation, and positioning of fibers, the Alterhouse series offers a variety of scaled works, revealing the microscopic and macroscopic anatomical tissues of our intimate anatomy across different layers of our reality. The essence of MicroMacro lies in its aim to induce a meditative state, encouraging viewers to reflect on the life forms that constitute our bodies. It conveys the profound concept that we are fundamentally resonant beings intricately connected to cosmic currents.

https://alterhouse.gallery/collections/chiel-lubbers/products/cardiac-wave

Musculo-vegetal box series
Plant fibers, framed with maple wood and museum glass, calque paper prints, naturlinen box

Exhibition Musculo-vegetal at Boox.space Haarlem

Dimensions original work: 15,8 cm x 20 cm x 3,2 cm
Dimensions box: 25 cm x 29,7 cm x 6 cm

Musculo-vegetal is a herbarium series that embodies analogous research, delving into the parallels between fibers in plants and human muscle tissues. In collaboration with Boox.space Haarlem I made a series of original works within a box

Orbicularis Oculi
Plant vezels, ingelijst met esdoornhout en museumglas. 23,5 cm x 19,5 cm

The work is a 1:1 translation of the small muscles around the human eyes. 

Exhibition Musculo-Vegetal, Boox.space, Haarlem