The Spring Auction 2020

Dutch artist Tisna Westerhof brings a satirical edge to traditional delft blue tiles.

From a distance the tiles seem to depict traditional scenes of idyllic domestic life, whilst on closer inspection we see an updated version of the well known tiles. Recognisable London sites become the playground for barefoot children from a bygone era.

Tisna takes the fabric of domestic life, from family snaps and children’s clothes to ceramics and embroidery, and reconfigures it into work that explores nostalgia, identity and the loss of innocence. While her practice is grounded in printmaking, Tisna revels in breaking down the limitations of materials and reinventing traditional handicrafts. She produces highly tactile works that capture a child like sense of delight with a combination of humour and melancholy.

As a twin, Tisna is fascinated by dualities and her personal experience of loosing an older sister suffuses her work with warmth, intimacy and a sense of the precariousness and fragility of what we treasure.

Accolades

MA, Scenography, Central St Martins, London.
Printmaking, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, Netherlands.

Awards and Memberships: Royal Dutch Printmaking Award and Siemens Art Award. Elected member of The London Group.

Tisna is Co-founder and director of hARTslane, an experimental art project space in South London.