Tessa de Rijk

Playing with shadows  

An exploration of reliefs, textures, and tactile properties—that’s how you could describe the art of Tessa de Rijk. In her search for balance and perfection, Tessa de Rijk creates works of art that are both expressive and bold, yet elegantly understated.

Tessa de Rijk is based in Amsterdam and graduated from the Utrecht school of the Arts in 2014. During her time in art school, Tessa de Rijk studied interior architecture. However, instead of focusing on the practical part of making interiors, she started to make sculptures.

“I am constantly searching for balance and perfection in a sculptural way, by experimenting with my own materials and brushes.”

To explore different techniques, materials, and tools—like paint brushes that she develops herself—is an important part of Tessa de Rijk’s creative process.

For The Ode To, Tessa de Rijk has created a series of unique pieces “Symbioses”. Each piece is inspired by nature— a leaf, a small wooden stick, or a soft stone—that Tessa has found during one of her many hikes together with her dog Spunk. Throughout the day, when interacting with natural light, the expression of de Rijk’s artworks changes.  

“The morning light will generate a soft and mellow look, which becomes sharper during the day and ends with a mysterious glow by night.”

At The Ode To we’re in awe of how Tessa de Rijk turns inspiration from natural objects into timeless and expressive works of art.