May Bredt

Design

I design art jewels and objects driven by the concept of transformation, with an emphasis on creative expression, exploration and experimentation rather than intrinsic material value. I create one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces, usually within open-ended thematic series, inspired by bold organic forms and negative space, and available techniques and materials.

reUse

I work primarily with old and discarded materials, creatively reusing precious and non-precious metals as well as non-metal components such as vintage Perspex, pearls and wood. This choice is challenging in terms of design and reflects my aspiration to connect the past with a sustainable future and give every piece a story.

Make

I make my designs by hand with mostly ancient techniques & simple tools, often working outside and off-the-grid. At times a design requires fire to solder or to cast one-off pieces in cuttlefish bones that I find on Scheveningen Beach. I’m always looking for the unusual, alternative way to do it…

Finding Form

I like to explore specific forms, from circles to oloids, from biomorphic to rugged forms in nature, so in addition to art jewels & objects, I make drawings, paintings and photographs to ‘find form’: forms that are often geometric at their core and organic at the same time. Other key factors are the elusive negative space as well as the ‘state of the world’ and all of these find their way into my jewels and objects.

Exhibitions

My Story

In 2015, I decided to take my multidisciplinary creative pursuits to a more professional level and started a three-year part-time metalsmithing course with goldsmith Greetje Sieders at Atelier Drie in Scheveningen. Three years became ten and I still work once a week in Atelier Drie with a wonderful group of colleagues.

The combination of my lifelong love for jewellery and working creatively with my 'head, heart and hands', came together in metalsmithing and enabled me to take more of my ideas into a three-dimensional realm.

In 2022, I registered my brand name – aMoiBe design – and maker’s mark stamp with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK) and the Dutch assay office (WaarborgHolland).

The name ‘aMoiBe design’, based on the ancient Greek word ἀμοιβή (the etymological root of the word amoeba, meaning change), is informed by the transformative nature of my work, my organic shape obsession, and - not coincidentally - my initials.

In 2023, I participated in my first small group exhibition, showing pieces hand-fabricated from scrap metals. More exhibitions followed, including a big solo show on the isle of Ameland in 2024, as part of a month-long art project, Kunstmaand Ameland, where I presented my jewels and objects inspired by the sea.

Along the way, the scope of my creations widened, especially in terms of size and range of used materials (other than metal). I started integrating e.g. vintage perspex, beads and wood into my jewels and making larger objects from scaled up jewellery designs as well as standalone sculptures in metal, soapstone or clay.

In 2025, I was invited to take part in an exhibition with a group of very diverse jewellery artists at a gallery in the center of the historic Spiegelbuurt (mirror quarter) in Amsterdam, the center of the Dutch art and antiques trade. Aside from displaying some of my jewels during this monthlong show, I also had my first opportunity to exhibit some of my soapstone sculptures!

I love playing, exploring form, transforming and the serendipitous process of it all. It’s a challenge to experiment with scale and I look forward to going bigger still! I especially enjoy collaborating with other artists, like my colleagues at Atelier Drie, and working towards an exhibition with a specific theme or where different crafts are combined to reinforce a certain shared aesthetic or principle.

Before 2015, my artistic endeavours took on more of a supporting role, a side act providing inspiration and balance during my studies (MSc Economics & MA International Relations and Diplomacy) and subsequent jobs. Vice versa, my studies, my first career in international peace & security, and my second career, raising children in an international & multicultural environment, certainly now inspire and balance my third career as a designer-maker-reuser!

These three core pillars - my children, art and international peace & security - are interrelated and at times compete for attention. I manage thanks to good friends & family, lots of laughter and dancing! For the future of all three, the world needs to move to a circular system and it is in that light that I (re)create and share the process.