Jelte van Abbema was born in 1982 in Voorburg, the Netherlands. He grew up in the Dutch town of Wageningen, which is known for the life sciences and peacemaking. As a young gardener, he learned about the strangeness and beauty of nature, and with this he found the tools necessary to grow. Upon graduating high school in 2000, he began his studies at the Design Academy Eindhoven in Man & Communication. In June 2006, he graduated cum laude. His work was nominated for the René Smeets and Melkweg Design Awards and received the Willie Wortel Award for invention. In 2007, he founded Lab van Abbema to investigate how design, science and technology can combine to shape a new landscape that reflects the contemporary nature of the world. His ongoing search for making the unfamiliar familiar has resulted in numerous collaborations, and his work has been exhibited and published internationally.

Interests

• Animation
• Graphic design
• Installation

Company

LAB van Abbema

School

The Design Academy