​¨
“Naomi James Schatteman is a Belgian artist and dancer whose multidisciplinary and epistolary practice examines the concept of liminality, investigating states of transition and in-betweenness (through dance, movement, drawing, text, photography, and video).”
In recent months, she has developed a protocol; she meets people, from different backgrounds, ages… with whom she has intimate conversations, about moments when they have been in a liminal state or about the role of liminality in their lives.
These conversations are not documented, but Naomi translates the conversations into a movement and drawing practice. She further continues this research and protocol in and through @THELIMINALOFFICE; the very first office to treat 'Liminal States' with care, paying attention to what is no more, what is not yet, the in-between, the transient.
​
____
​
Naomi’s journey as a dancer reflects a continual search for authenticity through movement. Her foundation was shaped by classical and jazz ballet, later expanding into styles such as high heels and hip hop fusion. These influences became the groundwork for her ongoing exploration of contemporary dance. By retraining and deepening her practice, Naomi has embraced both freestyle hip hop and contemporary improvisation, challenging herself to let movement arise in the moment rather than focusing solely on technical display.
She has performed with artists including Serafine1369 (formerly Last Yearz Interesting Negro), Erich Weiss, La Geste, and Omar A. Chowdhury. Over time, Naomi has shifted her attention from presenting virtuosity to embodying an energy that resonates sincerely with audiences. Her work is marked by purity, presence, and devotion—qualities that allow her to connect deeply and leave a lasting impact.
​
____
​
From 2011 to 2019, Naomi created a long-term body of work as a commercial dancer and showgirl, producing performances for high-end corporate events and publicity. These works doubled as meditations on socio-cultural issues such as gender, the male gaze, and the position of the female body within capitalist, male-dominated structures. Audience interaction played a central role in that practice, becoming a mirror for the work itself and opening up layers of power play and voyeurism. With striking intuition and a precise sense of timing and composition, Naomi created subtle yet enduring tensions throughout these performances—drawing her audience into a space where movement transforms into reflection
____
​
KID Naomi is Naomi James Schatteman's illustration practice and was born out of a love for drawing, art, design, and fashion. Through customized illustrations and live sketching at events, her work captures character, movement, and atmosphere, translating moments into expressive visual narratives.
​
"The name ‘KID’ refers to my childhood. It was my late father who introduced me to the world of drawing and painting when I was about five years old. As I grew older, the passion never faded and I eventually transitioned from traditional high school to art school. There I learnt the fine art and my love for drawing grew even more. Since I was studying fashion at the time, I was also bitten by fashion drawing "et voila", the rest is history. KID Naomi emerged alongside my art and dance practice and my later studies in performance. I love working with my clients to find a design that completely fits their story. I love that when I perform a LIVE SKETCHING, this practice reliably generates a shared experience of joy for those involved".
​​​