Feelings. Ceramics by Julie Kooijman.

Julie Kooijman’s energy and enthusiasm are highly contagious, and gallery owner Mrs. Lusette Verboom-Fairbairn is delighted to share Julie’s work in the new exhibition:

Feelings. Ceramic sculptures by Julie Kooijman.

Friday, June 3, 2022,
from 6.30 – 8.00 PM.
Gallery Alma Blou,
Landhuis Habaai, Frater Radulphusweg,
Curaçao.

Opening words by Gisette Seferina.

Julie Kooijman-Pieler was born in Argentina and studied chemistry, which knowledge proved to be very convenient during her artistic career. Forty-three years ago, she moved to Curaçao following her husband Joop Kooijman and feels at home and part of the community. Last year, the couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Thirty-nine years ago, Julie started ceramic lessons with the then-only ceramics teacher on the island, Mrs. Solange Gravenhorst, a highly respected artist. 

Soon she became knowledgeable in the basics of ceramic creations and liked it so much that she decided to continue her studies in 1977 and 1978 in Miami, Florida UA, where she obtained her license as a ceramic teacher. Afterward, she followed a porcelain painting course by the artist Ruth Little in Lubbock, TX, USA.

Mrs. Little was so impressed by Julie’s skills that she was offered a teacher’s position at her academy. Unfortunately, she could not accept that job due to family circumstances.

When in Miami, she bought her first electric kiln to fire her ceramics and porcelain. (Currently, she uses a huge gas-fired kiln). Soon after the purchase of the first oven Julie started to teach ceramics to interested ladies in Miami, and one of them, Vicky Aguiton, later became a well-known ceramics artist in Trinidad.

Over the years, Julie Kooijman had various successful exhibitions in Curaçao with good reviews all over.
After moving to smaller premises, she stopped teaching but worked primarily on ceramic and porcelain objects. 

Her specialty is the finishing of her objects, where she polishes the work time after time to obtain the results she seeks. Then comes the decision to either polish or raku the works. 

She uses special techniques to get the patterns in her work, with beautiful results. She enjoys the wonder of her creations after they have been fired and how the colors she mixes come out.

The exhibition will be on show till June 18, 2022.