Emerging Dutch Artists to Watch in 2023

The Netherlands has long been a fertile ground for artistic innovation, from the Dutch Masters of the Golden Age to the pioneering electronic musicians of recent decades. Today, a new generation of Dutch creators is redefining artistic boundaries and gaining recognition both at home and internationally. In this article, we spotlight ten emerging Dutch artists who are making significant waves in 2023 and beyond, representing diverse disciplines and approaches that showcase the vibrant state of the Dutch creative scene.

Music Innovators

The Dutch music scene continues to evolve beyond its well-established electronic music reputation, with artists exploring new sounds, technologies, and cross-cultural influences.

1. Luna Verhoeven

Based in: Rotterdam

Medium: Electronic music/Sound design

Luna Verhoeven is redefining the boundaries between electronic music and sound art. A graduate of the Institute of Sonology at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, she creates immersive sonic environments that blend meticulously designed synthetic textures with field recordings gathered across urban and natural landscapes.

Her debut EP "Peripheral Spaces" received critical acclaim for its innovative spatial audio techniques, which create a three-dimensional sound experience even through conventional stereo systems. Recent performances at Rewire Festival and Berlin Atonal have established her as an important voice in experimental electronic music.

What makes Verhoeven's work particularly noteworthy is her research-based approach to composition. Each project begins with an exploration of specific acoustic phenomena or cultural contexts, resulting in work that is both intellectually engaging and emotionally resonant.

Where to experience her work: Her latest installation "Resonant Topographies" will be featured at STRP Festival in Eindhoven this September.

2. Jamal Osei

Based in: Amsterdam

Medium: Hip-hop/Jazz fusion

The son of Ghanaian and Dutch parents, Jamal Osei is bringing fresh perspective to the Dutch hip-hop scene with his multilingual flows and jazz-inflected production. After building a following through independently released mixtapes, his recent signing to Warp Records signals his growing international appeal.

Osei stands out for his virtuosic trumpet playing, which he integrates seamlessly into his productions and live performances. This instrumental prowess, combined with thoughtful lyrics that explore themes of cultural identity and urban life, has earned him comparisons to artists like Ambrose Akinmusire and Moor Mother.

His debut album "Crosscurrents," released in February, skillfully navigates between intimate jazz compositions and hard-hitting beats, showcasing his versatility as both a producer and performer.

Where to experience his work: Osei will be performing at North Sea Jazz Festival in July and touring European clubs this fall.

3. Emma van den Berg (MBERGVN)

Based in: Utrecht

Medium: Electronic pop/Audiovisual

Performing under the moniker MBERGVN, Emma van den Berg has quickly established herself as a compelling voice in electronic pop. What sets her apart is her holistic approach to music-making: she writes, produces, and creates striking visual content for all her releases, resulting in a cohesive artistic vision that spans audio and visual domains.

Her sound combines crystalline vocal production with intricate electronic arrangements influenced by both experimental club music and Dutch folk traditions. This distinctive sonic palette, coupled with lyrics that often explore feminist themes and environmental concerns, has resonated with audiences seeking both innovation and substance in pop music.

MBERGVN's recent EP "Thresholds" received features in Resident Advisor and Pitchfork, with the latter praising her "ability to craft songs that feel simultaneously intimate and expansive."

Where to experience her work: MBERGVN will debut her new audiovisual show at ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) in October.

Visual Arts Boundary-Pushers

The Netherlands has a rich tradition of visual art innovation, and today's emerging artists continue to push boundaries while engaging with contemporary social and technological issues.

4. Malik Hendricks

Based in: Amsterdam

Medium: Mixed media installation/Digital art

Malik Hendricks creates large-scale installations that examine the relationship between digital and physical spaces. A graduate of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Hendricks has quickly gained attention for works that combine traditional sculptural elements with projections, sensors, and custom software.

His recent installation "Permeable Boundaries" at W139 in Amsterdam invited visitors to move through a series of translucent screens onto which were projected digital environments that responded to human presence. The work explored how digital interfaces mediate our experience of space and community, a theme that resonates particularly in our post-pandemic context.

What distinguishes Hendricks' practice is his collaborative approach—he frequently works with programmers, sound artists, and architects to create multisensory environments that challenge the traditional gallery experience.

Where to experience his work: Hendricks will participate in the group show "Virtual Proximities" at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven opening in August.

5. Nadia Zhao

Based in: Rotterdam

Medium: Photography/Video

Nadia Zhao's photography and video work explores cultural identity and migration through intimate portraits and documentary approaches. Born to Chinese parents and raised in the Netherlands, her work navigates the complexities of belonging in a globalized world.

Her ongoing series "Inherited Distance" documents the lives of second-generation immigrants in Rotterdam, capturing both the tensions and richness that emerge from straddling multiple cultural contexts. The project has been exhibited at Nederlands Fotomuseum and featured in publications including The British Journal of Photography.

Zhao's work stands out for its technical precision combined with emotional depth. She employs a range of photographic approaches—from formally composed portraits to candid documentary images—creating visual narratives that resist simplistic cultural readings.

Where to experience her work: Her first solo museum exhibition will open at Foam in Amsterdam this November.

6. Thomas de Wit

Based in: The Hague

Medium: Painting/Textile

Thomas de Wit is revitalizing painting through an expanded practice that incorporates textile techniques and sculptural elements. His large-scale canvases feature densely layered surfaces created through a combination of traditional painting techniques, embroidery, and collaged fabric elements.

De Wit's work often engages with Dutch visual traditions—from Golden Age still lifes to Mondrian's geometric abstractions—while recontextualizing these references through contemporary materials and concerns. This dialogue between historical and present-day practices gives his work a temporal depth that resonates with both art historians and contemporary audiences.

After completing a residency at the Rijksakademie in 2022, de Wit has exhibited at galleries in Amsterdam, Berlin, and New York, with Artforum highlighting his "innovative merger of painterly and textile vocabularies."

Where to experience his work: His work will be featured in "New Dutch Painting" at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam opening in July.

Interdisciplinary Innovators

Some of the most exciting work coming from the Netherlands today defies easy categorization, with artists working across multiple disciplines to create new forms of expression.

7. Sofia Martins

Based in: Amsterdam

Medium: Performance/New media

Sofia Martins creates performances that incorporate live music, movement, and interactive technology to explore the relationship between human bodies and digital systems. Trained in contemporary dance and computer science, she brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to her work.

Her recent piece "Algorithmic Intimacies," performed at Frascati Theater, featured dancers wearing sensors that generated sounds and visuals based on their movements and proximity to each other. The work examined how technology mediates human connection, creating a poignant metaphor for contemporary social relationships.

What makes Martins' work particularly compelling is how she humanizes technology, using digital tools not as mere spectacle but as means to explore deeply personal questions about embodiment and connection.

Where to experience her work: Martins will premiere a new commission at the Holland Festival in June.

8. Willem van der Heijden

Based in: Eindhoven

Medium: Design/Installation

Willem van der Heijden works at the intersection of speculative design, biotechnology, and environmental science. A graduate of Design Academy Eindhoven, his projects imagine alternative futures and challenge conventional relationships between humans and ecological systems.

His recent project "Symbiotic Cycles" explores potential symbiotic relationships between urban infrastructure and living organisms. The installation features a series of modular structures that house various fungi, plants, and microorganisms, which collectively filter water, generate energy, and produce edible matter.

Van der Heijden's work stands out for its rigorous research foundation combined with poetic materiality. Each project begins with extensive consultation with scientists, policymakers, and community stakeholders, resulting in speculative designs that are both imaginative and grounded in real-world possibilities.

Where to experience his work: His work will be featured in the "Bio Design Challenge" exhibition during Dutch Design Week in October.

9. Elena Baumann

Based in: Amsterdam

Medium: Film/Virtual Reality

Elena Baumann creates immersive documentary experiences that blend traditional filmmaking with virtual reality technologies. Her work explores how digital media can create new forms of empathy and understanding across cultural and social divides.

Her recent project "Parallel Lives" allows viewers to experience daily routines of individuals from dramatically different backgrounds through a combination of 360-degree video and interactive VR elements. The piece has been featured at IDFA DocLab and Tribeca Film Festival, earning acclaim for its innovative approach to documentary storytelling.

What distinguishes Baumann's work is her commitment to ethical representation and community involvement. Each project involves extensive collaboration with the subjects, who participate in decisions about how their stories are presented and shared.

Where to experience her work: Baumann's latest VR piece will premiere at IDFA in November.

10. Daan Nijssen

Based in: Utrecht

Medium: Sound art/Instrument design

Daan Nijssen builds experimental musical instruments that challenge conventional approaches to sound production and performance. Drawing on backgrounds in both luthiery and electrical engineering, he creates physical-digital hybrid instruments that expand the possibilities of musical expression.

His recent creation, the "Resonant Field," consists of a room-sized network of stretched wires and electromagnetic actuators that can be played through a combination of physical interaction and digital interfaces. The instrument allows for both composed performances and improvisational explorations, blurring the line between installation art and musical instrument.

Nijssen stands out for his commitment to making experimental music technologies accessible. Alongside his artistic practice, he regularly conducts workshops where participants can build simple versions of his instruments, democratizing access to new forms of sound creation.

Where to experience his work: Nijssen will lead a series of performances and workshops at Gaudeamus Muziekweek in September.

Supporting the Future of Dutch Creativity

These ten artists represent just a small sample of the vibrant creative energy emerging from the Netherlands today. What unites them is a willingness to experiment across disciplines, engage with complex contemporary issues, and build communities around their practice.

As more Dutch artists gain international recognition, questions arise about how best to support this creative ecosystem. Traditional funding structures, while still vital, are being complemented by new models including artist-run platforms, cross-sector collaborations, and digital communities that connect Dutch creators with global audiences.

At Sklin Club, we're committed to providing platforms for these emerging voices through our events, workshops, and digital initiatives. We believe that by fostering connections between artists across disciplines and career stages, we can contribute to the continued vitality of the Dutch creative scene.

Looking Ahead

As we move through 2023, these artists will undoubtedly continue to evolve and surprise us with new works that challenge our perceptions and expand our understanding of what Dutch creativity can encompass.

We encourage you to follow their journeys, attend their exhibitions and performances, and engage with their work across platforms. By supporting emerging artists, we all contribute to a more vibrant and diverse cultural landscape—one that reflects the full complexity and possibility of contemporary Dutch creative expression.