Born in The Netherlands, 1982

Jelte van Abbema 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. He studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven in Man & Communication, graduating in 2006 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 our world. His ongoing search for making the unfamiliar familiar has resulted in numerous collaborations, and his work has been exhibited and published internationally. In 2009 his work got awarded by the Rado Young Designer Award.