Janine Claudia Schimkat

Graduated from the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Maastricht, the Netherlands, 1997. Worked at Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 1998–1999, and at the European Ceramics Workcentre in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, 2000 and 2004.

She was granted a scholarship by the Fonds voor Beeldende Kunsten, Vormgeving en Bouwkunst, 2001, 2006–2007, and the Stichting Stokroos sponsorships, 2013, 2014.

She has participated in solo and group exhibitions at such institutions as: Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht, 2007; Galerie 106 De Gecroonde Bel, Oosterhout, the Netherlands, 2011; Kruithuis, 's-Hertogenbosch, 2013; the Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, Ebeltoft, Denmark, 2013; De Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, 2014.

Her works are presented in many collections, including those of: the Glasmuseet Ebeltoft; the Centrum voor Beeldende Kunst, Amsterdam; the Ministry of Security and Justice, Amsterdam; the European Ceramics Workcentre in 's-Hertogenbosch; and the Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands.

She is an active member of the Sculptors Collective ABK, Amsterdam.

Her art is mostly inspired by forms from the underwater world. Using glass, but also ceramics, porcelain, silicon, water, light, and sound, she builds her own fantasy world; an utopia in which beauty dominates. She often uses existing species Latin names to grant a scientific foundation to her self-created universe.