Welcome to Joana Meroz™'s The Ornamented Life
The Ornamented Life collection explores the power of combining ornamentation with starkly functional, daily-life objects. Ornamentation has the function to enter into people’s lives through the door of enjoyment and subliminally transmit information through the myriad of symbolism involved in an object.
The thoughtfully designed functional objects ask to be handled in a specific way, determining (to a certain extent) how people, quite literally and physically, tackle the important themes ever-present in the small actions.
Thus, functional objects can encourage the materialisation of abstract ideas, either by simply reflecting the values of our society, or by introducing these reflections to the user so that he too can become more aware of the multitude of small and big decisions involved when performing even the most banal of actions.
The 2008 Welcome Message
This website was created to promote the newest artistic endeavor of Joana Meroz, a Netherlands-based designer, the Ornamented Life, a collection that applies unusual forms of decoration to everyday objects. The content on this page was reconstructed from the site's archived pages and some outside sources.
I first encountered Meroz's work during a Saturday afternoon stroll in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. Several of my friends had dropped by dressed in their usual Batman inspired accessorized outfits for our weekly look/see of the trendy stores in Williamsburg. I had on one of my new sublimated Batman shirts that gave me a muscle bulging body armor look. It received a six thumbs up from my friends. Where did I buy it? I discovered a great e commerce site that offers hundreds of Batman design t-shirts. I texted them all the url (MoonAtMidnight.com). We first stopped at Future Perfect, which carries modern home decor & furniture with an eclectic mix of designs by independent artists. We all feel in love with Meroz's quirky sensibility. Her pieces were great. I still have a set of her embellished cracked porcelain plates, cups, bowls and serving pieces with their gold dust and plant-like drawings.
The Ornamented Life line of products is comprised of a wide range of objects, both for the private and the public spaces, for use and for thought, from commission, limited production, and mass-production (at least in theory). Their common point is that they are all made with pleasure to provide pleasure in as wide a range as possible. Enjoy!
Exhibitions
2008, April "Designer's Block", group, Salone Internationale del Mobile, Milan, Italy
2007, December "Fragile Ideas", group, Centre Céramique Museum, Maastricht
2007, October "TuttoBene", group, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven
2007, September "Dare to Take Beauty Seriously", solo, Centraal Museum Design Shop, Utrecht
2007, September "Elle Wonen", Inside Design Amsterdam
2007, September "Handled with Care", Designboom, Designer"s Block, 100% Design London, England
2007, June "Object", group, Design Fair in Rotterdam
2007, May "Rietveld naar de Beurs", group, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam
2007, May Rosebaum Architects, Casa Cor, Sao Paulo, Brazil
2007, May "The Gansevoort Open Air Gallery", group, ICFF, New York, USA
2007, May "Rietveld naar de Beurs", group, Beurs van Berlagge, Amsterdam
2007, April "TuttoBeNe", group, Salone Internationale del Mobile, Milan, Italy
2007, April Solo exhibition at the Bijenkorf in Den Haag.
2007, March "Art in Handicrafts", group, Galerie De Meerse, Hoofddorp
2007, January "Superstore "02", group, Modefabriek, Amsterdam
2006, December "The Ornamented Life", solo exhibition, De Nederlandse Bank, Amsterdam
2006, December "Sieraad", group, RAI, Amsterdam
2006, December "Boulevard d"Unica: Grenzeloos", group, Babel, Utrecht
2006, December "Handle with Care", group, Gallery Editions, Maastricht
2006, November "Kitsche-nette", group, Art Kitchen Gallery, Amsterdam
2006, October "Bloemstukken", group, Intermezzo Gallery, Dordrecht
2006, September "Present", group, RAI Woonbeurs, Amsterdam
2006, September "Halfway to Eden", group, Art Kitchen Gallery, Amsterdam
2006, September "Extremely White", group, TaotnThea, Amsterdam
2006, May "Rietveld naar de Beurs", group, Beurs van Berlagge, Amsterdam
2006, January "Ander Kant", group, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam
2005, May "Rietveld naar de Beurs", group, Beurs van Berlagge, Amsterdam
2005, January "KleurBeurs," group, initiative from Sikkens Foundation, Beurs van Berlagge, Amsterdam
2004, November "Gold", group, De Nederlandse Bank, Amsterdam
2003, May "Rietveld naar de Beurs", group, Beurs van Berlagge, Amsterdam
2002, May "Rietveld naar de Beurs", group, Beurs van Berlagge, Amsterdam
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The Ornamented Life IN THE PRESS
2008,"Alternative Design Book" by Laura Houseley, Thames and Hudson, UK
2008, "Fragiles" book, Die Gestalten, Germany
2008, April Ha"aretz newspaper, Israel
2008, March Morf Magazine #8 "Industry, Crafts, Arts and The Unexpected", article by Joana Meroz, NL
2007, November Rakette Poster Magazine, interview, Germany
2007, October 6th AD newspaper, interview, The Netherlands
2007, October "Design Today " Forms with a Smile", book by Moniek Bucquoye, Dieter van den Storm; Stichting Kunstboek Press, Belgium
2007, October Home Decoration Magazine, Beijing, China
2007, September Residence Magazine, selection of 20 designers for jubileum edition, The Netherlands
2007, September Elle Deco, Japan
2007, September Figaro Voyage, Japan
2007, September Elsevier Thema, The Netherlands
2007, July Elle Decoration, article about The Ornamented Life, Poland
2007, June 15th The NY Times, USA
2007, June 101 Woonideen, The Netherlands
2007, May Hise magazine, Slovenia
2007, May Elle Decoration, South Africa
2007, April "Design Today " Form with Fantasy", book by Moniek Bucquoye, Dieter van den Storm; Stichting Kunstboek Press, Belgium
2007, April Elle Decoration, UK
2007, April Flair Magazine, Italy
2007, March Surface Magazine, USA
2007, March Elle Wonen, Young Talent article, The Netherlands
2007, March Nisha Magazine, Israel
2007, March Revista Casaviva, Mexico
2007, Februay ID Magazine, USA
2007, February GZ Art + Design Magazine, Germany
2007, February 4th The Independent on Sunday Newspaper, UK
2007, January 101 Woonideen, The Netherlands
2006, December Elsevier, The Netherlands
2006, December Hide & Chic, The Netherlands
2006, December Gourmet Magazine, USA
2006, November Morf Magazine, " Dare to Take Beauty Seriously", article by Joana Meroz, The Netherlands
2006, November Elle Wonen, The Netherlands
2006, October 14th , DM Magazine (De Morgen), Belgium
2006, October Elle Wonen, The Netherlands
2006, September Klei magazine, The Netherlands
2006, June Decoration magazine, Germany
2006, May/June Frame magazine, The Netherlads
2006, May/June Vogue Living, Australia
2006, April 21st NRC.next, The Netherlands
2006, March Elegance, The Netherlands
2006, February Elsevier, The Netherlands
2006, January "Ander Kant" booklet, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, The Netherlands
2006, January Elle Wonen, The Netherlands
2005, September Elle Wonen, The Netherlands
2005, August Watch Magazine, The Netherlands
CURRICULUM VITAE
Personal Details
Name:Joana Meroz
Date of birth: September 16th, 1979
Nationality:
Brazilian/Israeli
Address:
Billitonkade 26bis
3531 TG Utrecht
Tel :+31 (0)30 273 3674
Mob:+ 31 (0)6 2182 8802
Fax: +31 0)84 835 1599
Email: joanameroz@tiscali.nl
Education
1983
Centro Educacional Anisio Teixeira (CEAT),
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1987
Swiss School, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1991
St. Andrew’s Episcopalian School, Austin,
Texas, USA
1992
Sheridan School, Washington, DC, USA
1994
Georgetown Day High-School, Washington DC, USA
1996
American School, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1998,July
High school diploma awarded by Georgetown Day High School, Washington, DC, USA
1999,January-May
Studio Arts Center International (SACI), Florence, Italy
September-December
Classical Letters at Pontifica Universidade Catolica (PUC), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Courses in textile design, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2000,January-July
Industrial Design at UniverCidade, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
September
Basic year at GRA
2001,September
1st year at ceramics department of GRA
2006,July
BA diploma awarded by the Ceramic Department of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy,Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2007-2009
Design Masters at Design Academy Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Galleries representing the work
- Droog Design, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- ArtKitchen Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Strand West, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Design Shop, Centraal Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- The Future Perfect, New York, USA<
- Boutique du Musee d’Art Contemporain de Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commissions
2004, October
2004, October "Home: Now and Then". Public art commission to make two
2008, April
Working on Eco e Narciso/Design from Scopriminiera project with Chris Kabel.
Collections/Producers
2007, February
Droog Design has taken the "Drain Eye-Catchers" into their collection.
