About

I have always been fascinated by the animal kingdom. It fascinates me that humankind has the desire to document, preserve, examine, exhibit, and integrate this beauty in the artificial life of humans. I started with taxidermy 9 years ago to integrate taxidermied birds into my sculptural work. I pursued my studies in visual art at HKU and obtained a Masters in art policy and management from the University of Utrecht. Today, I am a full-time taxidermist and educator exploring the fields of interior design.

While taxidermy has a scientific function, I also see my mounted birds as statement pieces designed to be proudly displayed in living spaces. For me, taxidermy is about capturing beauty and life in my work. Each piece is meticulously crafted, and I pay great attention to detail to ensure that every feather, expression, and natural pattern is preserved with precision.

My vision is to go beyond traditional taxidermy and create pieces that not only celebrate the natural world but also evoke a sense of wonder and respect for the birds themselves. I believe that by showcasing the beauty of nature through art, we can foster a deeper connection between viewers and wildlife.

Ethical sourcing and conservation are at the forefront of my practice, this plays a vital role in my artistic vision. I am dedicated to obtaining my birds responsibly.

Daniëlle: I always have been fascinated by nature and the animal kingdom. 

the

maker

ABOUT

‘It fascinates me that humankind has the desire to document, preserve, examine, exhibit, and integrate nature in the artificial life of humans.’

I started with taxidermy 10 years ago to integrate taxidermied birds into my sculptural work. I pursued my studies in visual art at HKU and obtained a Masters in art policy and management from the University of Utrecht. Today, I am a full-time taxidermist and educator exploring the fields of interior design.

While taxidermy has a scientific function, I also see my mounted birds as statement pieces designed to be proudly displayed in living spaces. For me, taxidermy is about capturing beauty and life in my work. Each piece is meticulously crafted, and I pay great attention to detail to ensure that every feather, expression, and natural pattern is preserved with precision.

My vision is to go beyond traditional taxidermy and create pieces that not only celebrate the natural world but also evoke a sense of wonder and respect for the birds themselves. I believe that by showcasing the beauty of nature through art, we can foster a deeper connection between viewers and wildlife.

Ethical sourcing and conservation are at the forefront of my practice, this plays a vital role in my artistic vision. I am dedicated to obtaining my birds responsibly.

Resumé

2018 Masterclass Taxidermy – Peter Sunesen | Copenhagen, Denmark |
2014-2015 Master of Arts Policy and Management | University Utrecht | Utrecht |
2013-2014 Pre-master of Arts Policy and Management | University Utrecht | Utrecht |
2008-2012 Bachelor of Fine Art and Design in Education | Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht

Awards
2023 First of professional medium sized birds ETC 2023
2023 First Mckenzie award ETC 2023
2023 Spitting image bird anatomy award ETC 2023
2023 Best of professional Division ETC 2023
2023 red ribbons in professional medium sized bird ETC 2023
2017 1 red ribbon Novice small bird ETC 2017
2016 4 x honorable mention Dutch Taxidermy Championships 2016
2012 2012 2nd place in Gallery Color photo competition |

Work
2016- present DF Taxidermy & Art- Bird Taxidermy Shop – owner since 2016
2014- 2016 We Like Art – internship, website adviser, suppoost
2012-2017 Art & Sofie – Art teacher
2012-2017 Beeldbalie – Image editor
2013 Cals College IJsselstein – Art teacher
2011 Dick Bruna Huis – Workshop Employee – 2009-2011
2010 Moira, Utrecht – Suppoost – 2008-2010, 2014

Exhibitions
2020 Nasty Alice | Eindhoven |
2019 Weg van kunst | Kampen | group exhibtion | 13 april – 14 april |
2019 Sporen in de natuur | QKunst, Social Impact Factory | Utrecht | group exhibition | 28 march – 28-06 june |
2018 AK 24 | Utrecht | 25 april – 6 may | solo exhibition |
2018 Stadscafé by Henk Logman | Amersfoort | 3 july – 26 august | solo exhibition |
2017 Secret Postcard Sale – We Like Art | Amsterdam | 13 december – 29 december | group exhibition |
2017 UtrechtDownUnder | Utrecht | 25 august – 10 september | group exhibition |
2017 Vonkel | Den Haag | 06 may – 24 june | group exhibition |
2016 Art the Hague | Den Haag | 5 october – 9 october | group exhibition |
2016 Kingdome Come | Post + Garcia -The Art Project Maastricht | 29 april- 15 may | group exhibition |
2016 Museum IJsselstein | 12 march – 29 may | group exhibition |
2016 Rotterdam Contemporary Art Fair | 10 – 14 feb 2016 | group exhibition |
2015 / 2016 Size Matters by We Like Art | TETEM Enschede | 03 december – 7 february | group exhibition
2015 Wonderful World | Kunstliefde Utrecht | 28 november – 20 december | group Exhibition |
2015 Does Interieurs, Laren | group exhibition |
2015 Pretty in the City | Grachtengalerie Utrecht | 21 may – 7 july | group exhibition |
2015 De Aanschouw Rotterdam | 18 june – 25 june | solo exhibition |
2015 KunstRAI Amsterdam, Galerie Vonkel Den Haag | 27 may- 31 may | group exhibition |
2015 POP-UP Galerie 5 Utrecht | group exhibition |
2015 Veranderingen | Galerie Pouloeuff, Naarden | 6 march – 3 may | group exhibition |
2014 IN STORE | Galerie Judy Straten, Horst | 30 november – 25 january | group exhibition |
2014 Parels en oude zwijnen by Henk Logman | De Mannenzaal, Amersfoort | 13 – 17 november | group exhibition |
2014 Utopia | Next Gallery, Rotterdam | 4 october- december | group exhibition |
2014 Urban Paradise | Max Campus Utrecht | 10 october – 2 november | group exhibition |
2014 Ikazia ziekenhuis | july – september | Rotterdam | solo exhibition |
2014 MOIRA en LUCY op het spoor van surrealisme | Moira Utrecht, Wolvenstraat 10 | 18 april – 11 may | group exhibition |
2014 Another World | Synagoge, Borne | 02 february – 16 march | Borne | solo exhibition |
2013 The House of ABABA | 16 november march – | Rotterdam | group exhibition |
2013 POP-UP Galerie 4 | 19 december – 2 february | Utrecht | group exhibition |
2013 Adam & Eva | 17 november – december | Het Stok, Den Bosch | group exhibition |
2013 DepARTmentstore by Gumbs, Galerie SANAA | 17 november – 22 december | Utrecht | group exhibition |
2013 POP-UP Galerie 4 | 1 november – 15 december | Utrecht | group exhibition |
2013 Tekenkabinet | 25 october – 17 november | KunstSalon Assen | group exhibition |
2013 Tekenkabinet | 17 july – 28 july | Museum Waterland Purmerend | group exhibition |
2013 Popup Store Dutch Art Collaboration | Utrecht | group exhibition |
2013 Frame de Galerie, Kunst Kijk Route | Discover, Amersfoort | 15 may – june | solo exhibition |
2013 Kunstroute Heuvelrug | Doorn | 8 & 9 june | group exhibition |
2013 Stedelijke Verbeelding | Grachtengalerie, Utrecht | 12 april – 9 june | group exhibition |
2013 Generation Y | Dutch Design Hotel Artemis | 7 march – 26 may | group exhibition |
2013 POP-UP galerie | Utrecht | 01 march- 05 may | group exhibition |
2012 Vreemde Gasten | Muziekzaal het Sluysje, Amersfoort | 6 & 7 october | group exhibition |
2012 Nature | Gallery Judy Straten, Horst | 2 september – 7 october | group exhibition
2012 Exposure| HKU graduates | Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht | group exhibition |

Media

2023 Algemeen dagblad 09-01-2023
‘Als iets weg is, is het weg’
Vooroordelen over mijn beroep

2021 Na Het Nieuws do 21 nov 13:15 • BNNVARA • 26 min
Te gast: Docent strafrecht Luuk Esser, verpleegkundigen Britt Kraaijevanger en Ryan van den Oever, fotograaf Maartje ter Horst en taxidermist Daniëlle Frenken.

2019 NRC 27 november 2019
‘Die vogels wil ik in mijn kunst verwerken’
Gouden handen, hebben ze. Fotograaf Maartje ter Horst legt jonge vrouwen vast die oude ambachten uitoefenen.

2019 Algemeen Dagblad 06-08-19
– Verslaggever Rachel snijdt in een vogeltje: ‘Er komt een bepaalde liefde bij kijken’,

2019 Vogelen in de balie , 01,07-2019 Amsterdam
In dit eerste programma staat de bijzonderste soort centraal: de vogelaar zelf. Wat drijft hem of haar om in volledig groen alle uithoeken van tuin, bos en berggebied af te speuren naar dat ene gesnavelde diertje?

Publications
2019 Een verrassende editie van Weg van Kunst; Brug Nieuws Kampen, 16-04-2019 |
2018 Curiositeiten – Fascinaties voor vogels, UITagenda, april 2018 |
2016 Stil respect voor schone slaapster, Limburger
2015 Interview Natural Artefacts #4: Daniëlle Frenken, P-artefacts, 21-10-2015 |
2015 Belang online kunstmarkt groeit, Metropolis M, 26-06-2015 |
2015 Stevige groei online kunstmarkt, De Telegraaf, 26-06-2015 |
2015 De kunst van hergebruik, De Gooi en Eemlander, 12-03-2015 |
2014 Interview Kunst.blog.nl | 22-09-2014, by José van der Wegen |
2014 Bornse Courant, Tubantia, Roskam.
2013 Spotlight #3: Danielle Frenken on her nature inspired art’ Interview Bleaq by Jantine Zandbergen | 04-10-2013 |
http://www.bleaq.com/2013/spotlight-3-danielle-frenken |
2013 Catalogus, Tekenkabinet, Museum Waterland, Purmerend |
2013 9x inspiratie: Daniëlle Frenken: Interview Eyespired| 09-08-2013 | http://eyespired.nl/inspiratie-danielle-frenken |
2013 ‘Daniëlle Frenken’ HP/DeTijd | 09-02-2013 | http://www.hpdetijd.nl/2013-02-09/danielle-frenken/ |
2012 ‘Galerie Judy Straten, Nature in Horst’ Kunstkrant | Page 29, september/october |
2012 ‘Stichting geeft beginnende kunstenaars een steuntje in de rug’, de Weekkrant, Amersfoort | 26-09-2012 |
2012 Limburger | 13-09-2012, page 13 |
2012 Catalogus Vreemde Gasten | page 38 |
2012 ‘Monsterlijke centauren en huilende wolven’ Mr Motley by Daniëlle Frenken| 19-06-2012 | http://archief.motleysalon.com/Archief/Blog/Homepage/Monsterlijke_centauren_en_huilende_wolven/ |
2012 ‘Please allow to introduce myself’, Eindexamencatalogus Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht | Page 114/115 |

Client publications
2015 Album Cover Imiafan + Dario Seraval -‘Against the walls’, Seja Records 2015 |
2014 Het Geheim van de Olifant – Een Verhaal met een Moraal, Comedy huis 2014, page 18 |
2012 Illustration for CJP Magazine | no. 5-2013, page 60 |
2012

Projects
2020 Vogelen, de Balie Amsterdam | Taxidermy presentation |
2015/2016 De Belofte, Kunstliefde | organization ‘De Belofte’ with Henk Logman and Mathieu Klomp |
2014 Max Campus, Urban Paradise | organization exhibition |
2013 Ruilen met Robinson, Unfinished Art, volunteer |
2013/2014 Tijdelijke Kunstwinkel | donation |
2012 Organization exhibition ‘Rariteitenkabinet’, Vreemde Gasten, in co-operation with 4 other artists for Stichting Jonge
Kunst.

Media

Algemeen dagblad  09-01-2023 

‘Als iets weg is, is het weg’
Vooroordelen over mijn beroep

Na Het Nieuws do 21 nov 13:15 • BNNVARA • 26 min

Te gast: Docent strafrecht Luuk Esser, verpleegkundigen Britt Kraaijevanger en Ryan van den Oever, fotograaf Maartje ter Horst en taxidermist Daniëlle Frenken.

 NRC 27 november 2019

Die vogels wil ik in mijn kunst verwerken’
Gouden handen, hebben ze. Fotograaf Maartje ter Horst legt jonge vrouwen vast die oude ambachten uitoefenen.

Algemeen Dagblad 06-08-19

– Verslaggever Rachel snijdt in een vogeltje: ‘Er komt een bepaalde liefde bij kijken’,

Vogelen in de balie  , 01,07-2019 Amsterdam

In dit eerste programma staat de bijzonderste soort centraal: de vogelaar zelf. Wat drijft hem of haar om in volledig groen alle uithoeken van tuin, bos en berggebied af te speuren naar dat ene gesnavelde diertje?

Media

Algemeen dagblad  09-01-2023 

‘Als iets weg is, is het weg’
Vooroordelen over mijn beroep

Na Het Nieuws do 21 nov 13:15 • BNNVARA • 26 min

Te gast: Docent strafrecht Luuk Esser, verpleegkundigen Britt Kraaijevanger en Ryan van den Oever, fotograaf Maartje ter Horst en taxidermist Daniëlle Frenken.

 NRC 27 november 2019

Die vogels wil ik in mijn kunst verwerken’
Gouden handen, hebben ze. Fotograaf Maartje ter Horst legt jonge vrouwen vast die oude ambachten uitoefenen.

Algemeen Dagblad 06-08-19

– Verslaggever Rachel snijdt in een vogeltje: ‘Er komt een bepaalde liefde bij kijken’,

Vogelen in de balie  , 01,07-2019 Amsterdam

In dit eerste programma staat de bijzonderste soort centraal: de vogelaar zelf. Wat drijft hem of haar om in volledig groen alle uithoeken van tuin, bos en berggebied af te speuren naar dat ene gesnavelde diertje?