Art AND Sustainability: Claudy Jongstra on what businesses can take from art

11/29/23 • 33 min

AND is the Future - Making Businesses Sustainable AND Profitable

Have you ever wondered how the Dutch masters were able to use such vibrant colors? They come from plant-based dyes! Ilham sits down with internationally acclaimed artist Claudy Jongstra to discuss her incredible art, which is made from plant based dyes and wool that comes from a rare, indigenous breed of sheep raised on her farm in The Netherlands. They discuss her fascinating artistic process, the costumes she created for the Jedi in Star Wars, what businesses can learn from art and much more. Claudy’s work truly brings art AND sustainability together!
Claudy Jongstra is a world renowned artist and designer known worldwide for her monumental artworks and architectural installations, whose organic surfaces and nuanced tones reflect her masterful innovations in the ancient technique of making wool felt. Her fabrics have been used by some of the most well known designers such as Christian Lacroix and Donna Karan, and they were even worn by the Jedi in Star Wars Episode 1. Her work has been included in collections at major museums like the Rijksmuseum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and more.
Timestamps
1:50 - Upbringing in the Netherlands and early love for color, nature and art
6:16 - Creating sustainable art from materials on a farm
9:08 - Making beautiful plant-based dyes/colors
15:14 - Creating the Jedi costumes for Star Wars
17:53 - Art and circularity
20:53 - What can businesses learn from art
24:26 - Connecting art and education
27:31 - Secret to success
29:47 - Artist role models and favorite work of art

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

Previous Episode

Leadership AND Finding Your True North: Bill George on how to become an authentic leader

According to leadership expert Bill George, “Your true north is the essence of who you are, and before you can go on an outer leadership journey, you have to go on an inner journey.” Ilham has a fascinating discussion with Bill about how you can find your True North, his new book on leadership, the shift from “I” to “we”, advice to emerging leaders and much more.
Bill George is one of the most renowned experts on leadership. He's the former chairman and CEO of Medtronic, and currently an executive fellow at Harvard Business School. You may know Bill as the author of the groundbreaking book, True North, as well as many other books on leadership. He has just published this newest book called True North Emerging Leaders Edition, which he co-authored with the Millennial entrepreneur, Zach Clayton.
Timestamps
2:16 - Youth and early lessons in leadership
5:10 - What is True North
10:50 - About his new book: True North Emerging Leader Edition
13: 09 - Becoming an authentic leader
17:24 - Crucibles that test your leadership
20:58 - Shift from I to We
23:18 - True North and North Star - what’s the difference?
27:33 - Political issues - when to become involved
30:36 - Giving back: the George Family Foundation
32:52 - Advice to young leaders

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

Next Episode

Music AND Chemistry: Nuno Maulide on what scientists & business leaders can learn from music

Did you know that there’s a strong connection between music and science? Ilham speaks with award winning chemist and pianist Nuno Maulide about the science behind the classical music of the greatest composers. He talks about the musical talent of brilliant scientists such as Albert Einstein and Max Planck, what scientists and business leaders can learn from music, and beautifully plays pieces by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Debussy. Listen and be inspired!

Nuno Maulide is a professor and head of the Institute for Organic Chemistry at the University of Vienna. Nuno studied piano and chemistry in his hometown in Lisbon and then went on to earn his PhD at the University of Louvain in Belgium. He has studied at universities in Louvain-la-Neuve, Paris and at Stanford University, and started his independent work as a Group leader at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Carbon Research. He has received numerous prestigious awards in both chemistry and music throughout his career.
Timestamps
1:59 - Albert Einstein and Max Planck’s love for Bach and Mozart
7:09 - Nuno plays Bach’s Jesus bleibet meine Freude
10:38 - Introduction to music in primary school
13:11 - Switch to focus on organic chemistry
19:43 - Nuno plays excerpts from Mozart’s Sonata in G Major 1st Movement
20:48 - Connection between science and music
23:21 - Schubert and the connection to nature
27:51 - Nuno plays Schubert’s Impromptu in G Flat Major
33:00 - Chopin and the connection to water
35:07 - Nuno plays Chopin’s Etude Opus 25 No. 1
37:23 - What can businesses learn from music?
40:31 - Rachmaninoff and pattern recognition
41:27 - Nuno plays Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in G Sharp Major
44:32 - Emotion vs rationality?
46:02 - Nuno plays Debussy’s Clair de lune

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

AND is the Future - Making Businesses Sustainable AND Profitable - Art AND Sustainability: Claudy Jongstra on what businesses can take from art

Transcript

Ilham Kadri: Today I'm so happy to be speaking with internationally acclaimed artist, Claudy Jongstra, who uses natural materials and natural dyes for self-harvested plants to create beautiful fabrics and artworks that connect people to the earth. Claudy fabrics have been used by some of the most well known designers such as Christian Lacroix and Donna Karan, and they were even worn by the Jedi in Star Wars Episode 1. And her work has been included in collections at major museums like the Rijk