Tessa de Rijk, born in 1988, is a 2014 graduate from the Hogeschool van de Kunsten in Utrecht where she studied Architecture. 

After graduating she continued working as an artist, although she chose the fine arts direction now, her architectural background stays visible in her work that she now publishes under the name Atelier de Rijk. 

In the earlier days of her studio her work focused more on paintings, as of now she mastered many different skills, yet her signature and style remain undeniably recognizable in every discipline. 

Her workflow is defined by an experimental methodology and a never ending curiosity for shape, material and texture. According to Tessa de Rijk she approaches her atelier as if it is a laboratory where her experiments result into artworks varying from sculptures, ceramics, paintings to interior design. 

In Tessa's laboratory, experiment is key and allowing failure into her practice eventually gives a lot of freedom to make new discoveries. This approach is something that Tessa'd like to teach to her students as well, so make sure to have a look at the available workshops of Atelier de Rijk. 

Organic shapes, simplicity, purity, harmony and balance are characterizing for the work of Atelier de Rijk. Her aim is to create a rousing composition that in the meantime is stripped down to its essentials and shows only what is needed, with as an outcome a very pure artwork. Another element that she always showcases in her work, for example by the use of Indian ink, is her love for Asian calligraphy. To be able to make this ancient craft her own she early on started making her own brushes with different hair types, lengths to give her a wider range in experimenting with to create her ideal structures and palettes.