Rite de Graaf

Rite de Graaf is a Dutch artist whose practice is devoted to the natural world — its textures, forms, rhythms, and quiet poetry. Working with a distinctive combination of paper pulp, wood, acrylics, fabrics, and pigments, she creates sculptural works that capture the essence of nature with a rare directness and emotional sincerity.

De Graaf's process is as organic as her subject matter. Paper pulp — a material both humble and endlessly malleable — forms the foundation of her practice, shaped and layered alongside wood, fabric, and pigment to produce works of remarkable tactile presence. Her mixed media approach allows her to move freely between surface and structure, between the delicate and the substantial, building compositions that feel simultaneously discovered and made.

What distinguishes De Graaf's work is its unwavering commitment to expression over technique — to saying something true over saying something perfect. Her sculptures do not merely depict the natural world; they embody it, carrying within them the energy and character of the landscapes and living forms that inspire her.