Leonie Schneider

Leonie Schneider is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores human behaviour, social dynamics, and narrative construction. Born in Munich and based in The Hague, her practice spans painting, sculpture, and textile, with a consistent focus on storytelling and the relationships between figures within constructed environments. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague in 2018.

Central to Schneider’s work is an interest in interpersonal dynamics, particularly within family structures. Her practice examines how roles, hierarchies, and emotional tensions are formed and expressed through interaction. This investigation is reflected in a recurring cast of fictional characters, often presented as siblings, through which she develops ongoing narrative sequences.

Painting has become a primary medium within her work. Her compositions depict these characters in staged, often theatrical situations, where gesture, expression, and spatial arrangement convey underlying psychological relationships. Influenced by the concept of family constellation, her work explores themes of interdependence, absence, and shifting power structures. The absence of parental figures within her scenes reinforces the focus on the dynamics between siblings, allowing the narratives to unfold within a self-contained environment.

Alongside painting, Schneider works with sculpture and textile. Her early exploration of performance and movement is reflected in motorized metal sculptures, where objects appear to act or respond, creating a sense of staged interaction. This performative quality continues in her broader practice, where the viewer’s presence often alters the reading of the work.

Since 2020, she has expanded her practice through collaborations with the TextielLab at the TextielMuseum in Tilburg, translating her painted scenes into large-scale woven works. These tapestries extend her narratives into a different material context, where texture and scale add new dimensions to her storytelling.

Across all media, Schneider’s work is characterized by a strong sense of theatricality and observation. Her compositions combine moments of tension, humour, and discomfort, inviting viewers to engage with the complexity of human relationships. Through this narrative-driven approach, she creates works that function as both visual compositions and constructed social worlds.

Education

• Royal Academy of Art (KABK), The Hague – Bachelor’s degree, Fine Arts (2018)

Collections

Works by Leonie Schneider are held in:

• TextielMuseum, Tilburg
• Deloitte