About
Monika Loster is a Polish born, Amsterdam based visual artist with an MFA, working primarily with fibre, handmade paper and embroidery. Her practice moves between sculptural installation and more intimate, body-centred works, exploring growth, transformation, memory and the connections between the human body and the natural world.
Organic structures recur throughout her work: roots become veins, fibres resemble nervous systems, and branching forms spread across walls, bodies and architectural spaces. Within these works, the body becomes a place of identity, memory and psychological experience. Female figures, domestic imagery and references to home frequently appear intertwined with vascular, botanical and root-like networks, suggesting relationships between inner and outer landscapes, belonging, vulnerability and change.
Site-responsiveness is another important aspect of her practice. Her ongoing installation ClusteRed is one of its most monumental expressions: an expanding assemblage of fibre-based forms that continually changes in response to the architecture and character of each new location. Rather than being installed in the same way twice, the work grows through successive presentations, allowing each space to become part of its development.
Across both large-scale installations and smaller works, Monika treats material as something active rather than fixed. Fibres spread, connect, envelop and branch, creating forms that hover between anatomical, botanical and psychological structures.
Alongside her individual practice, Monika has experience developing and participating in international group exhibitions, with a particular interest in how artworks interact with one another and with the character of a space.
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Her work is held in private and institutional collections including Musashino Art University, Tokyo; Central Museum of Textiles, Łódź, Poland; Book Art Museum, Łódź, Poland; King St. Stephen Museum, Székesfehérvár, Hungary; Museum of Modern Art and Mail Art, Montecarrotto, Italy; and WTA World Textile Art Organization, Miami, USA.
Upcoming:
2026 Kunst a/d Vaart, Assen, NL
2026 ‘Second Nature’ Het Kerkje van Persingen, NL
Selected shows & exhibition:
2026 ‘Cartomancy’ Arteaporte, Con/temporary Space, Turin, IT
2026 ‘Wish You Were Here’ Spazio 22_4, Torino, IT
2025 ‘We grew here’ Kunstmaand Ameland, Cultuurhistorisch Museum Sorgdrager, NL
2025 ‘Wish List’ Spazio 22_4, Torino, IT
2025 ‘Loops’ Sunny Bank Mills, Leeds, UK
2025 ‘Zwerfdrift en Dradendrang’ ACEC, Apeldoorn, NL
2025 ‘Love is in the hair’ Con/temporary Space, Turin, IT
2024 ‘HOEZO’ geen vrouwen in de kunst? Museum de Kantfabriek, Horst, NL
2023 Residency showcase, Sunny Bank Mills, Leeds UK
2023 „Kunststroom Roerdalen Wassenberg” Bergfried Wassenberg, DE
2022 „Kunststroom” Castle Daelenbroeck, Roerdalen, NL
2021 „Kunst Gevilt” Stichting P’arts, den Dolder, NL
2021 „Soft Skills” Notre Dame des Arts, Ubbergen, NL
2019/2020 „Bitter Burgundy” on show in Kunstlokaal Kerkrade, NL
2018 „Textiel Plus Arts & Crafts” s’Hertogenbosch, Brabanthallen, NL
2018 „Material Matters” Galeria Zône, Leiden, NL
2018 “Kunststroom Roerdalen” Montfort, NL
2018 “Open PoortenDag” Buggenum, NL
2017 “7th International Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art”, Montevideo, UY
2016 „15th International Triennial of Tapestry” Central Museum of Textiles, Lódz, CMW, PL
2016 „Scythia 11” International Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art, Kherson, UA/Leiden, NL
2015 „5th Sheffield International Artist’s Book Prize” Bank Street Arts, Sheffield, GB
2015 „NanoArt” Galeria Roi Doré, Paris, FR
2015 „Scythia” 7th International exhibition Mini Textile Art” Kherson, UA
2015 „Imago” 5th Textile Art Triennial Savaria Museum, Szombathely & Vigado Gallery, Budapest, HU
2015 „International Textile Biennial” Kunststichting Perspectief, Haacht, BE
2014 „Kunst Roer(t)” Castle Daelenbroeck, Roerdalen, NL
2014 „Global Village” Kulturhuset Brønden, Brøndby Strand, DK; Röcklturm, Landshut, DE; Fort Abcoude, NL
2013 „Winter Expo” Art Issues Gallery, Weert, NL
2013 „Monika Loster - Zomer expo” Vischpoort - Museum Elburg, NL
2013 „Vestingval Elburg 2013, Vischpoort, Elburg, NL
2012 „Identity, Autobiography and Self narratives” XI Small Format, University Gallery, Belfast, IE
2012 „Vestingval Elburg”, Vischpoort, Elburg, NL
2012 „Correspondence” 9th International Book Art Festival, Plocka Galeria Sztuki, PL
2011 „The Collection of Polish Book Art from the 20th to the 21st century” Musashino Art University, Tokyo, JP
2010 „In Space” 2nd Biennale Ars Polonia, The Contemporary Art Gallery (GSW), Opole, PL
2010 „8th International Baltic Minitextile Triennial” Museum of the city of Gdynia, PL
2010 „9th Polish National Exhibition of Miniature Tapestries Lódz '10” Central Museum of Textiles, CMW, Lódz, PL
2010 „11th Polish National Exhibition of Unique Tapestries Lódz 2010” Central Museum of Textiles, CMW, Lódz, PL
2010 „Of Disreadings” X Small Format International Contemporary Art Exhibition, MX Espai 1010, Barcelona, SP