Hi, I’m Jade Houben (1996), a Belgian artist born and raised in Lommel, a city surrounded by nature.
I work at the intersection of craft and technology, softness and structure. I’m deeply inspired by the possibilities of materials, by what they can do, how they move, and how far I can push them.
Most of my ideas don’t start at a desk. They start somewhere in between: while observing, trying, failing, and enjoying the process. What begins as a small experiment, or even a mistake, often grows into something much bigger. In my case, it grew into an entire system.
I graduated with a Master’s degree in Jewellery Design & Gold- and Silversmithing from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 2020. Throughout my years of study, I developed my own visual language , one shaped by movement, colour, texture and softness, and guided by a very hands-on, experimental way of working.
New technologies don’t scare me; they attract me. I’m curious about what happens when digital tools and traditional craftsmanship meet, and what they can achieve together.
My working process is built around testing, reflecting and responding to the material itself. I’m interested in repetition, in systems, and in how small changes can lead to completely different results.
Trial and error plays a central role in everything I do. I draw, assemble, evaluate, take things apart, and start again. Sometimes the result matches my imagination, sometimes it surprises me completely , and those moments often lead to new discoveries.
Nature is my biggest source of inspiration. Flower petals, fish scales, butterfly wings, growth patterns, ripples in water, sometimes clearly recognizable in my work, sometimes more abstract.
Inspiration also comes from books, artworks, my surroundings, and my own failed tests. I don’t limit myself to one theme. Everything can become a starting point, and often grows into the next idea.
Vibroyant began as my master project and grew into the foundation of my artistic practice.
For this body of work, I compose my own layers of fabric, searching for the right thickness and vibrant colour combinations. I digitally draw each 2D shape before laser-cutting them from these self-assembled textiles.
By connecting the textile elements one by one, flat shapes slowly transform into flexible 3D structures. Changing the way elements are designed or connected instantly changes the outcome. Subtle or expressive, light or bold, calm or dynamic.
The pieces sit somewhere between jewellery and costume art.
Movement is essential. The pieces are designed to return to their original shape after impact, to follow the body, and to truly come alive when worn. They ask to be touched, felt and experienced.
Over time, Vibroyant naturally expanded beyond jewellery into costume and performance. Seeing the pieces move on dancers and performers felt like the work finally breathing the way it was meant to.
JeJade grew as a translation of Vibroyant.
I wanted to bring my textile-based hooking system into precious metals, creating jewellery that can be worn every day while still carrying the spirit of my artistic work.
Each piece is built link by link, allowing for full customization. You can choose, combine and shape your piece to fit your own style , because jewellery should feel personal.
JeJade balances accessibility with character: expressive and playful, yet refined enough to live with you day after day.
Did you see this?
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Jewellery Design, Gold & Silversmithing | Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium | 2018 – 2020
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Jewellery Design, Gold & Silversmithing | Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium | 2014 – 2018
2024 – Kunstaanmoedigingsprijs, Cultural Council of the City of Lommel, Belgium
Award for artistic excellence and professional development, including production support.
2020 – Prize for Jewellery Design and Goldsmithing, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, academic year 2019–2020
Craft The Leather: Vegetable-Tanned Leather Workshop – San Miniato, Italy | 2019
Selected participant in an international, invitation-only program for emerging designers. Engaged in hands-on learning of Tuscan vegetable-tanned leather, visiting tanneries and developing a personal three-piece accessory collection showcased at Lineapelle, Milan.
Materials Experimentation Workshop – Summer Academy – Destelheide, Dworp, Belgium | 2020
One-week intensive exploring experimental approaches with diverse materials in contemporary art and design.
Glass Workshop – Antwerp, Belgium | 2016
Introduction to contemporary glass techniques and experimental glassworking.
2026 – Galerie Persoon, Eersel, The Netherlands
2025 – Vibroyant (solo exhibition), CC De Adelberg, Lommel, Belgium
2022 – Super Tactility, Soft Technology, Texture, Flax & River Lys Museum, Kortrijk, Belgium
2022 – DIVA – Work in Progress, Antwerp, Belgium
2021 – Connected! / Obsessed, Antwerp, Belgium
2021 – International Graduate Show 2020, Galerie Marzee, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
2021 – Antwerp Talent, curated by Steven De Jaeger, Antwerp, Belgium
2020 – To Be Antwerp, curated by Hilde Cornelissen, Antwerp, Belgium
2020 – We Are The Next Generation, WONDER, Kortrijk, Belgium
2020 – Master Expo, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium
2020 – Meet the Next Generation of Designers, curated by Salima Thakker, Antwerp, Belgium
2020 – Craft The Leather, Lineapelle Leather Fair, Milan, Italy
2019 – Graduates Be Trippin’, Munich Jewellery Week, Trippen Store, Munich, Germany
2019 – An Absurd, Nonsensical and Unexpected Encounter with YKK, London, United Kingdom
2018 – Jewellery Graduation Show, Antwerp, Belgium
2017 – Een Hoofd Vol Haar, Antwerp, Belgium
2017 – Jewellery for…, Ann Vandevorst & Filip Arickx / A.F. VANDEVORST, Schmuck, Munich, Germany
2016 – Fairytales (group exhibition), Grand-Hornu, Mons, Belgium
2025 – CC De Adelberg, Vibroyant photo report
2025 – Internetgazet, Vibroyant by Jade Houben enchants Astridpark
2021 – Connected! / Obsessed – Jewellery Festival, Klimt02
2020 – Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp – MA Degree Show 2020, Klimt02
2020 – Crisis Is Our Territory, DUST Magazine, Issue 17
2019 – Making Matters, Craft The Leather
2019 – Visions, etc., Bidules