Yvonne Mak

Yvonne Mak is a Dutch (1989, The Netherlands) artist based in Amsterdam, known for her sculptural installations and objects that subtly challenge perception. A graduate of ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem (2015), Mak transforms familiar forms through shifts in texture, illusion, and trompe-l’oeil effects, prompting viewers to question what they think they see. Her practice examines the fragile boundary between stability and quiet transformation, revealing the slow, often invisible changes that shape contemporary life — from environmental degradation to evolving social structures.

Transformation and Material Poetics

At the core of Mak’s work lies a fascination with gradual change. This theme is central to Imprint, an ongoing series of textile pieces, wallpapers, and rugs that together create a poetic ecology of fading. The works evoke sun-bleached curtains and worn interior surfaces — yet the aging is entirely fabricated. What appears to be the natural imprint of time is, in reality, meticulously printed, transforming slow decay into a crafted illusion.
In these subtle gestures, Mak reflects on phenomena such as climate change: processes that advance quietly until their consequences can no longer be overlooked.

Perception, Psychology, and Spatial Atmosphere

Mak’s installations also investigate how visual cues shape our emotional and spatial experience. The Imprint curtain works can make solid walls feel permeable, creating the illusion of windows where none exist. Their faded patterns evoke sunlight filtering into a room, introducing a sense of openness and calm. Echoing research on biophilic design, Mak harnesses the psychological effects of perceived natural elements — light, openness, and atmosphere — to shift how a space feels, even without changing its architecture.

Poetic Structures and Contemporary Sensibilities

By merging subtle trompe-l’oeil techniques with broader social commentary, Mak exposes the fragility of the structures —emotional, cultural, and environmental — that shape daily life. Her works reveal how forces such as fear, privilege, and responsibility manifest in physical and psychological space. Through controlled transformations and quiet illusions, Mak invites viewers to consider what is fading, what is transforming, and what remains unseen until it becomes impossible to ignore.

Education

ArtEZ University of the Arts, Arnhem (NL) 

Exhibitions

Collectible NYC, NYC. America (US)

Antwerp Design Week, Antwerp, Belgium (BE)

Centraal Museum & Finished Forms - GLUE Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands (NL)

GLUE Amsterdam (NL)

Rotterdam Design Biennale, Rotterdam, Netherlands (NL)