Rademakers Gallery | Jesler Muntendam

Jesler Muntendam

Jesler Muntendam is a Dutch designer and artist currently based in the Netherlands. She graduated from the Willem de Kooning Academy in 2019 with her innovative project titled "Future Rocks." In her work, Muntendam is deeply interested in the interplay between waste, culture, and material transformation, specifically focusing on how plastic waste becomes part of Earth's geological history.

Artistic Vision and Approach

Muntendam’s graduation project, Future Rocks, was inspired by a news article discussing the discovery of plastiglomerates—rocks formed by plastic waste—on Camilo Beach, Hawaii. This finding led her to see plastic waste on city streets differently, recognizing it as not just pollution but as a material that could be reshaped into something new and meaningful. She envisions plastic waste as a "future rock," forming part of the Earth’s future sedimentary layers, much like fossils or geological formations from past eras.

In her artistic practice, Muntendam collects discarded plastic materials from urban environments and transforms them into what she calls contemporary gems. By melting, sanding, and polishing the waste, she creates new, vibrant stones that mimic the appearance of precious gems. These reconstituted plastics are then fashioned into jewelry, serving as both a commentary on consumer culture and a tangible reflection of how waste shapes the physical world.

Key Concepts and Projects

Plastic as a Geological Marker: Muntendam's work is rooted in the concept that plastic waste is becoming a permanent part of Earth's geology. Her Future Rocks project reimagines waste as both a relic and a resource, where brightly colored packaging becomes a kind of cultural fossil—a memory of the present age.
Contemporary Gems: Through careful craftsmanship, Muntendam transforms plastic waste into materials that resemble precious stones, highlighting the potential of discarded objects to be reborn as something valuable and beautiful. Her jewelry pieces, made from these gems, symbolize the repurposing of waste into cultural artifacts.
Sustainability and Design: Muntendam's work raises questions about sustainability, waste management, and consumer habits. Her ability to transform the detritus of modern life into wearable art pieces challenges viewers to reconsider the materials they use and discard.