Artist duo Jaap Snijder and Marcelo Gimenes founded the creative brand Snijder & Co to carry on the Dutch tradition of large landscape wall hangings. Based in Zierikzee, Netherlands, they create custom nature wallpapers based on their own handmade designs. “Our craft has been lost for more than 150 years,” Snijder and Gimenes tell My Modern Met. “We are working on a revival with the help of museums, historians, and the Cultural Heritage Agency, to bring back this Dutch tradition of large landscape wall hangings and secure it for the next generations.”
To recreate the historical style of traditional wall hangings, Snijder and Gimenes use techniques from the 18th and 19th centuries and mix them with contemporary materials, where necessary, for a more sustainable result. “We started ten years ago by researching old techniques like chinoiserie and typical Dutch wall hangings,” Snijder and Gimenes tell My Modern Met. “As artists with different styles we wanted to merge our techniques to create large paintings and decorative art; wallpaper was the natural choice.”
Their portfolio features a variety of botanical-inspired prints. While some depict natural environments with birds and animals, others contain varieties of plants and flowers. “We always make sure we can both do the same things, but of course there are specialties which suit one better than the other,” they continue. “Birds and mammals are usually done by Jaap, and skies, background and insects by Marcelo. The rest is mostly a mix of both.”
You can purchase Snijder & CO’s wallpaper via their online store, and keep up to date with their latest creations by following the duo on Instagram.