Anna Rixt Steensma

Anna Rixt Steensma loves quirky facts and hearing and telling stories. Stories can give her a sense of wonder or nostalgia, something bigger than ourselves, and that feeling is what she seeks out in her work. She likes being surrounded by people and is fascinated by how we are connected to one another and share similarities, especially in what seems strange and different. Perhaps this is because such connections can sometimes be hard to find.

During art school, Anna experimented with many different ways of working, from analog techniques such as screen printing to digitally colored work. Her method often involves assembling various visual elements. From this arose the question of to what extent you can use "pictures" as reference. She explored that gray area, about which many different opinions exist.

For her graduation project, Anna looks at cabinets of curiosities. Real cabinets of curiosities originated in the past from a sense of wonder about life in other corners of the world. For her, it is a coming together of history, curiosity, resemblances and other cultures — themes that align well with her work.

Anna wants to create illustrations for clients such as newspapers, music venues and publishers, but an information panel for a museum also appeals to her a great deal. Besides making illustrations and art objects, Anna has also started tattooing. For her, this is a perfect combination of working on commission and engaging with people and their stories. In addition, Anna already works at Kunsteducatie Nederland, Busch en van der Worp, and works as a maker at festivals.