Monument Talent Prize — Mondriaan Fonds 2021

Van Donselaar’s gilded clay eye sculptures have been selected as prizes for the Mondriaan Fonds Monument Talent Prize—an award supporting young heritage professionals working at the intersection of conservation, culture, and innovation.

The sculpture features a circular eye form with radiating woodpins extending outward like lashes or rays of light. The central disc carries concentric textured rings, covered in 24-carat gold leaf.

The eye as prize carries double meaning: recipients are recognized because their talent has been seen, and because they themselves are visionaries in their field.

Over the years, van Donselaar’s work has appeared in several editions of this prize series. The prizes are awarded during the Monument Congress by Susan Lammers and Eveline van Dijk, financed by the Mondriaan Fonds.

The materials used include clay, 24-carat gold leaf, and wood pins.