(UPCOMING) RESIDENCIES
2026 Studio 1931, Wieringen, The Netherlands (september)
2026 Papermoon Puppet Theatre, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (jan/feb)
2025 Standplaats Vlieland, Artist Residency initiated by Into The Great Wide Open, Museum Tromp’s Huys, HI-LO, The Netherlands
2025 De Arcade (June), FLUJAS Collective - Museum Van Bommel Van Dam, gemeente Venlo en BOEI erfgoed
2024 Working Artist Studios - Ballydehob, Ireland (january - may)
2023 Crithir, West Cork, Ireland (september - december )
2023 Fish Factory - Stöðvarfjörður, Iceland (may)
2022 Studio Kura - Fukuoka, Japan (November/December)
EDUCATION
2025 Stop Motion mentoring week Tim Allen, London
2025 School of Puppets Advanced, Haags Theaterhuis
2024 Miniature Costume Fabrication for Stop Motion, Level I, Annika Schindler
2023 Rod puppet Building, Jennifer Kid, Dublin, Ireland
2023 Stop Motion Wire Puppet Building, Jennifer Kid, Dublin, Ireland
2020 Minor Heritage and Built Environment, VU University
2020 Minor Exhibiting and Cultural Entrepreneurship, Reinwardt Academy, Amsterdam University of the Arts
2017 BA Cultural Heritage, Reinwardt Academy, Amsterdam University of the Arts
2017 Socratic Design Lab Humerto Schwab
2016 Gerrit Rietveld Academie, pre-course
EXHIBITIONS
2026 Puppet International, PuppetPeepshow
2026 Art Rotterdam, ‘In(ter)sect’, Prospects, march 26-29, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
2024 July 5 - July 27, Pulling Strings, Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (group: Remy Neumann, Oscar Peters, Isa van Lier, Iekeliene Stange, Máté Kohout, Werner van der Zwan, Toto Kersten)
2023 August - September - Stockwerk Project Plant Blindness Vol II, Weimar, Germany (group)
2023 August - September - CICA (Czong Institute for Contemporary Art) South Korea (group)
2023 August 10-14 - Re-writing us for the future, AMP Gallery, London
2022 Studio Kura, Itoshima, Japan (group)
AWARDS/NOMINATIONS
2026 Winner Ruth van der Steenhoven prijs, Nederlandse Vereniging Poppenspel UNIMA
2025 Selection Gouden Kalf Competition - Short Films - Wad is, is nu
2024 Nominated Community Awards - Rising Star, AWOL / Young Dogs (Jonge Honden)
2024 Best Animation Award, Athens International Art Film Festival
2024 Winner Rialto for Short II
2024 Nominated Best Animation, People's Picturehouse Cork, Ireland
2022 Nomination Parool Beeldmaker
GRANTS
2026 Stichting Oscar Maarsman : Moederland
2026 Amarte project: Moederland
2026 De Schepper Delft Stichting (project: Brak)
2025/2026 Nederlands Filmfonds Ontwikkeling korte animatie ‘I’m a Puppeteer’
2025 Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, projectsubsidie (project: Ghosttown)
2025 Dommeringsfonds (project Ghosttown)
2025 Stichting Gerbrandy Cultuurfonds (residency Papermoon Puppet Theatre)
2024-2025 Mondriaan Start, Mondriaan fonds
2024 ULTRAKORT, Het Nederlands Filmfonds, 'Wad is, is nu'
2024 Stichting Stokroos Seed Grant
2024 Mondriaan Fonds Ontwikkeling
2022 AFK Stipendium
2021 Gemeente Amsterdam, Project Grant
2021 VSB, NJR, Project Grant
2021 AFK, Project Grant
TALKS/TEACHING
2025 Stichting Studio Camera Lab, Mentor
2025 may 31 - Metamorphosis Buitenplaats Brienenoord Rotterdam, Workshop Puppetry
2024 july 20 - Workshop Stop Motion, Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2024 march 14 - Artist Talk, Working Artist Studio, Ballydehob, Ireland
SELECTED FILM SCREENINGS / FILM FESTIVALS
Wad is, is nu (2025)
Annecy International Animation Film Festival, 2026 — Official Competition
Netherlands Film Festival, 2025 — Gouden Kalf Competition
Dutch theatrical release, 2025–26
Melbourne International Animation Festival, 2026
Go Short, 2026
Kaboom Animation Festival, 2026
ANIMA Brussels, 2026
Body's Blindness (2024)
Go Short, 2025
Athens International Art Film Festival, 2024 — Best Animation
NewFilmmakers NY, 2024
Frome Climate Film Festival, 2024
Rialto for Short, 2024 — Winner
Silent Frequencies (2023)
Amsterdam Independent Film Festival
Official selection
SELECTED CLIENTS
2026 Into The Great Wide Open, Animation Installation exhibited during the festival
2026 De Lepelaar Vlieland, miniature designs for the permanent museum collection
2026 NEMO Science Museum, Levende Planeet, Stop Motion, Director, Modelmaker
2026 ELMER Muziek, Puppet fabricator
2025 S10, Have Fun, Puppet fabricator
2024 NEMO Kennislink, illustrator
2023 VPRO / NPO3 - De Ongestelde Vragenshow, illustrator, animator
2023 Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, illustrator and animator
2022 Hivos, illustrator
2022 Podimo - Dag en Nacht Media, illustrator/animator
2021 HUMAN - 3FM
2021 VPRO Medialab/NPO3 - Maandverbond
2021 Echt Gebeurd - podcast
2020 Het Financieel Dagblad - Studio Europa
2020 VPRO Medialab
PRESS/PUBLICATIONS/FEATURES
https://cinemagazine.nl/wad-is-is-nu-2025-recensie/
https://www.filmfonds.nl/actueel/ultrakort-2025-vijf-animatiefilms-geselecteerd
https://www.videosoundarchive.com/archive-s7/jikke-lesterhuis
https://artworkgallery.net/art_magazine_issue2/
https://www.altiba9.com/artist-interviews/jikke-lesterhuis-multidisciplinary-animation-drawing
https://www.parool.nl/kunst-media/deze-tien-creatieve-talenten-strijden-om-ruimte-in-het-parool~bc8b48cf/
https://www.trouw.nl/cultuur-media/maandverbond-wil-het-gesprek-over-menstruatie-normaliseren~b2e58ee1/
https://dezwijger.nl/programma/wekelijkse-update-uit-onze-stad-18
https://fd.nl/opinie/1367596/meer-europa-dat-is-voor-jongeren-een-no-brainer
https://www.areweeurope.com/stories/could-prayer-become-gayer-viola-stefanello
