Ien Lucas guest at Tribal Design
Tribal Design celebrates its 30th anniversary with a spectacular exhibition of Dutch artist Ien Lucas. During her studies at the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht, Ien Lucas (1955, Echt) discovered her affinity for abstraction. ‘My painting is rooted in a fascination with the autonomy of color, material, and the gesture of painting. Each painting arises from an exploration of the possibilities inherent in painting itself: in the medium, the paint, the tools, the structure, and the act of painting.’ Innovation and wonder are central to her work. Avoiding repetition and constantly discovering new possibilities is a key element of her working concept. She draws inspiration from the dialogue with the material itself. By exploring, varying, and revising, an evolving trail of developments emerges. The work demands direct confrontation and experience, to be seen as itself, without narrative, without reference. Artworks of Lucas are among others in the collection of Museum Voorlinden, The Hague and the Museum Bonnefanten, Maastricht.
Vernissage on Saturday 6 December at 17.00 hrs. You are more than welcome for a drink.
The exhibition runs from Saturday 6 december till Saturday 31 Januari 2026.
Looking back on Tribal Art Fair Amsterdam 2025
For the twenty-third time the church building ‘De Duif’ on Prinsengracht was the epicentre of tribal art in Amsterdam. From thursday 23 October through Sunday 26 October, the Tribal Art Fair took place in this friendly and atmospheric location for which the fair is renowned. Twenty-one dealers in tribal art from the Netherlands, USA, Belgium, Hungary, France, The UK, Austria and Italy showed their finest pieces. Also, each day, the lectures and films were fully booked. The Tribal Art Fair is popular by collectors and dealers looking for high-end pieces as well as affordable additions to their collections. You can find objects from Oceania, Africa, Indonesia, Tibet and The Philippines, including jewellery, sculptures, textiles, masks, and varied utensils. Missed it this year? be sure to be there in Oktober 2026!
Location: De Duif, Prinsengracht 756, Amsterdam
More information on www.tribal-art-fair.nl
30 years of Tribal Design – 1995 – 2025
It all began with a humble yet elegant gallery on the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat, right in the heart of Amsterdam’s vibrant art district. We paid our bills in Dutch guilders and slowly, carefully, familiarized ourselves with email and the internet, not knowing what to come. Before long, more and more collectors found their way to our growing collection of tribal art. Now, thirty years later, Tribal Design has evolved into a mature gallery space on the Spiegelgracht, overlooking the famous Rijksmuseum. Over these three decades, I have travelled to many parts of the world in search of remarkable objects, hosted numerous thematic exhibitions in collaboration with contemporary artists, and participated in art fairs both in the Netherlands and abroad.
None of this would have been possible without the ongoing support of friends, collectors, colleagues, and family. My heartfelt thanks to all of you — I hope to see you again soon.
Tribal Agenda 2025-2026
Ien Lucas guest at Tribal Design 6 December – 31 January 2026
Brafa, Brussels 23 January – 1 February 2026
Civilisations Brussels 22 – 26 January 2026
Tefaf, Maastricht 14 – 19 March 2026
Civilisations Brussels 21-25 January 2026
Parcours des Mondes, Paris 8-13 September 2026
Koos van Brakel guest at Tribal Design 20 September till 28
November 2025
Tribal Art London October 2026
Tribal Art Fair Amsterdam 29 October till 1 November 2026
