Nieuw Jurk is a transdisciplinary artist who throws her artistic, public, and private bodies into battle to analyse and emphasise injustice and inequality in societal and cultural structures. In a playful yet combative way, she exposes the persistent blind spots of superiority, exploring ways to motivate connection and awareness.

In her work, she employs and unravels the implicit codes and language of clothes and textiles in regard to identity and status, shaping imaginary worlds based on real-life absurdism, and magnifying human behaviour fueled by destructive systems. She crashes the hidden rules of outer appearance that shape and control our lives—the dictatorship of modern society that grips us in our fragile urge to belong. Not dodging any confrontation, Jurk shows us there’s a way out.

Nieuw Jurk is the interdisciplinary and socially critical alter ego of Esther Meijer, notorious for its history of conceptual and unique fashion projects, where Meijer practiced fashion in an innovative and multidisciplinary way. A Nieuw Jurk concept was reflected in the diverse choice of disciplines, inclusive collections, statement print design, radical presentations, deviant main characters, and noncollaborations. Meijer observes fashion as a phenomenon with the gaze of an anthropologist and analyses it as a means of communication, forever inspired by youth culture, identity and image, group culture and many subcultures.

Nieuw Jurk processes the fashion trauma of being stuck in the system through making installative and sculptural work of discarded textiles and worn clothes. To expose the fashion industry as one of the most oppressive, but socially accepted, systems of contemporary society - for workers, ecosystems, non-human animals, consumers and designers.
CV:

2024: Selection of video work Faster, faster, faster for The One Minutes/No Limits Art Castle
Video work Faster, faster, faster on view at i.a.: No Limits Art Castle, Sexyland World, De Uitkijk, NDSM Fuse (Amsterdam), Lowlands Festival (Biddinghuizen), RIFF (Reykjavik), Kyiv Short Film Festival (Ukraine), Filmhuis Den Haag, The Bunker (Den Haag), HAL 25 (Alkmaar)
Collection presentation Subversive Textile workshop in collaboration with We Sell Reality at Framer Framed (Amsterdam)

2023: Presentation video work and installation Abracadabra Garments at group exhibition W139 Hosts (Amsterdam), presentation video work Faster, faster, faster at W139 - development grant Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst
Nieuw Jurk Fun Factory Tour at Josilda da Conceição gallery and Galerie Fleur & Wouter (amongst others)

2022: Nieuw Jurk Fun Factory exhibition (independent) the Radical Gallery: developing art works & curation art space (Amsterdam ZO) - development grant Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, project grant Stichting Stokroos and Fonds voor Zuidoost

2021: Nieuw Jurk Fun Factory exhibition (independent) the Anarchist-in-residence: developing art works & curation art space (Amsterdam ZO) - development grant Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, project grant Stichting Stokroos and Fonds voor Zuidoost
Artist-in-studio at ARTwell (Amsterdam ZO)
Artist-in-residence at BijlmAIR (Amsterdam ZO)
Group exhibition BijlmAIR CBKZO (Amsterdam ZO)

2020: Artist-in-residence at BijlmAIR (Amsterdam ZO)
Longlist Hartwig Art Foundation
- Parental leave -

2019: Online presentation of The Zoomshow (independent)
10 minute video for This Art Fair
Curation Nelson Mandela Memorial at OBA Bijlmerplein (Amsterdam ZO)
Pre-selection Rijksakademie
- Parental leave -

2018: Solo exhibition Future Icons at Amsterdam Museum with textile sculpture and room-filling installation Documentary presentation at Amsterdam Museum - project grant by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst
Online documentary premiere Yung Yurk @ puna.nl
Group exhibition The Ballroom (Amsterdam ZO)
Group exhibition AIR in Zuidoost (Amsterdam ZO)
- Parental leave -

2017: Documentary premiere Yung Yurk at BijlmAIR exhibition CBKZO (Amsterdam ZO)
Artist-in-residence at BijlmAIR (Amsterdam ZO) - project grant by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst
Article Big in Japan, independent feature in Mister Motley magazine (online)
Text and art: Big in Japan, independent feature in Mister Motley magazine (online)
Group exhibition 30x30 at CBKZO (Amsterdam ZO)
Guest curator Lost & Found (Amsterdam)
Nieuw Jurk Pop-up shop UGGLA (Harajuku, Japan)

2016: Collection presentation Yung Yurk at BA Fashion Week (Berlin), MTV EMA X Yeay TV (Rotterdam) and XBANK (Amsterdam) - project grant by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst

2015: Collection & documentary presentation Smiley Copyright at BA Fashion Week (Berlin), independent presentation at Nieuw Jurk Night Market, Sea Palace (Amsterdam) and Het Nieuwe Instituut (Rotterdam) - project grant by Stimuleringsfonds

2014: Nieuw Jurk <3 Taiwan show & Nieuw Jurk Pop-up shop (Taipei, Taiwan) - project grant by Stimuleringsfonds
Independent online exhibition and documentary presentation (online) - project grant by Stimuleringsfonds

2013: Collection presentation S*XXX at Amsterdam Fashion Week, S*XXX exhibition at 2PR (Amsterdam), lookbook and interview featured in Foxy Magazine - project grant by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, sponsorship Bobbi Eden

2012: Independent collection presentation FAN (Amsterdam)
Collection presentation KRISIS at Amsterdam Fashion Week (Amsterdam)

2011: Collection presentation KRISIS at Vondelbunker (Amsterdam) and PROJEKTGALERIE (Berlin) - project grant by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst

2010: Collection presentation KUBUS at Mediamatic and Amsterdam Fashion Week (Amsterdam)