Artist
Studio Job
Studio Job is a groundbreaking art and design studio based in the Netherlands and Milan. Led by Job Smeets (b. 1969), a pioneer of contemporary conceptual and sculptural art and design, he founded Studio Job in 1998 in the spirit of the Renaissance, combining traditional and modern techniques to produce once-in-a-lifetime objects. At Studio Job’s workshop, work spans art, interiors, fashion, architecture, and product design, with a wide range of crafts practised by talented artisans working closely together. Both in the workshop and in Job’s creative studio, technique, science, design, and art come together to create what can be described as Gesamtkunstwerk – a total artwork or all-encompassing art form. The results range from bronze sculptures in the Metropolitan Museum in New York to the national stamp of the Netherlands featuring the Dutch King (with forty million produced), life-sized unique bronze sculptures on Miami Beach, and the unique Wunderkammer cabinet of curiosities created for Swarovski in Innsbruck.
All Studio Job’s projects are characterised by a love for detail, freedom of expression, and functional art. With more than 400 exhibitions and solo shows around the world, Studio Job’s work is housed in most of the major museum collections. Their iconic, heraldic, and cartoon-like sculptures are highly valued by collectors worldwide. Studio Job was named one of the most influential design studios by the Financial Times. Job Smeets directs Studio Job from the Netherlands and Milan, serving as art director, artist, and designer.
Artwork at villa arte
AXE
“A shameless replica of a classic everyday object with stolen ornaments from various cultures. In our virtual reality, a miserable environment sows discord. The lack of clarity on the fundamental issues of ‘good and evil’ is frightening. I hide behind this symbol while hoping for a miracle.”
— Job Smeets, 2003
Quick facts
Academy
Studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven – 2000.
Work
Studio Job has collaborated with a wide array of prominent clients, including sculptures for Gufram, Barneys, and Land Rover, set design for Viktor & Rolf and Mika, and product collections for many brands such as Swatch, Alessi, Moooi, and Pepsi. In 2017, Studio Job partnered with the Italian manufacturer Seletti to form the joint brand BLOW, producing products in their pop spirit with a radical twist. Inspired by the city, Smeets opened his new base in Porta Venezia, Milan, in 2019, aligning himself with the new wave of Italian postmodernists. Smeets is consistently ranked as one of the world's most influential figures in art and design. His highly collectible work bridges the gap between object and product by combining functional art with cutting-edge concepts.
Awards
Winner of The Weird Nominee, The Webby Awards – 2019. Winner of Design Miami Designers to Watch, Forbes USA – 2015. Winner of Best of 2014, Hall of Fame Interior Design – 2014. Winner of Dutch Design Award Eindhoven – 2011. Winner of Top Ten Most Influential Design, Financial Times Award London – 2010. Winner of Design of the Decade Taiwan – 2010. Winner of Le Meilleur du Design, AD Collector Paris – 2009. Winner of Elle Decoration Design Award Milano – 2005, 2006. Winner of Bombay Sapphire Prize London – 2004. Winner of Rotterdam Design Prize – 2001. Winner of Dutch Culture Award – 2000.
Exhibited
Exhibited at Design Miami, PAN Amsterdam, TEFAF, KunstRai, PAD London, among others.