My name is Tessel, and I’m a painter drawn to exploring how we can deepen our connection with the natural world, especially water. I am a recognized artist member of Stroom Den Haag, and a board member of the Genevan-based NGO Green Seed.

I didn’t begin my journey as a full-time artist: I studied International Law and Human Rights, and Global Challenges in World Politics, and conducted extensive research on Indigenous Land Rights and the impacts of climate change on small island nations.

Over the years, I discovered the powerful stories we can tell through art. I came to understand that creative expression isn’t separate from imagining better futures, it’s an essential part of it!
 

Today, my work interweaves themes of human rights, the boundaries of the body, and our relationship with moving waters and changing landscapes in times of climate change and environmental degradation. I paint about belonging, often finding this reflected in the presence of other women. And I also paint from my deep love for water, and from a sense of responsibility to protect it.
 

In my practice, I’m continually exploring how these two worlds - law and art, analysis and intuition - can come together. On my canvases, body and space merge: dream-like, androgynous, and feminine figures flow into one another like rising rivers. Each painting seeks to reveal the beauty of vulnerability and connection, reminding us of the natural world that surrounds us, and the one that lives within us.

If this resonates with you, I’d love for you to follow my work on Instagram, where I share new pieces, glimpses of my process in my atelier near the Haagsche Bos, and updates on upcoming exhibitions.
 

Thank you for your interest.

Warmly,

Tessel van der Putte