Shai Datauker: Conceptual Artist & Research Practice - Interactive Portfolio

Shai Datauker is a conceptual and visual artist based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Born in 1998, he is a graduate of the DesignLab department at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie (class of 2023). Born from both fascination and disgust for the objects and systems that surround and control us, Shai’s practice is driven by awe and curiosity. Rooted in minimalism, he explores paradoxical familiarities within (technological) consumer culture, questioning how production, consumption, and restriction shape contemporary life. This takes form through extreme dedication and long-term projects, such as his ongoing ‘I wear the same outfit every day’, which is currently in its seventh year, or through strategies of restraint that aim to minimise material output. Shai often works with readymades and thoughtfully designed, highly reduced paintings, creating installations using limitation itself as a medium. Shai’s work merges physical processes with conceptual strategies, treating design tools not only as instruments of innovation but also as mirrors of cultural excess. It emphasises impermanence and paradox: the cycle of creating and erasing, while consuming and being consumed. His recent 2025 portfolio includes works such as 'Macbook Air, No Air,' '.zip,' 'Not So Magic Mouse,' and 'Self-portrait in folders,' which continue his exploration of digital culture and technology.