Kyra Nijskens is drawn to the silent yet powerful ways in which nature tells its stories: the annual rings of a tree that register time, the camouflage patterns of insects that hide from the human eye, the way in which geological layers contain a history that is much older than ours. She considers them forms of adaptation, resistance and transformation, not only as natural events, but also as metaphors for identity, self-creation and change.

In her practice, she is less interested in a representation of nature, but more in finding moments and patterns that can challenge or disrupt the stories we have told ourselves about what is ours and what is not. Her work is a combination of poetic reflection and critical exploration. Her use of materials explores the friction between natural and artificial substances. By using materials and stories that expose the tensions and interdependencies between natural processes and man-made systems, Kyra Nijskens aims to create objects that feel both familiar and strange. They seem to draw the viewer into a surreal world, but rather reveal a new reality that reflects the resilience of life beyond human control.

For Daily Practice, Kyra Nijskens has chosen a form of residency. Responding to her project ‘The Thief of Tides’ (2025), she investigates whether it is possible to create a new work entitled ‘rusted mouths, hollow veins’. ‘The Thief of Tides’ was developed during a residency at Pada 48/PADA Studios in Barreiro (Portugal). This work, which consists of a collection of sculptures and texts, can be seen in the group exhibition ‘Wiggle Room’ in the basement of Het Archief (Robert Fruinstraat 52).

Kyra Nijskens: “My recent work ‘The Thief of Tides’ revolves around biofouling: the process by which marine organisms such as oysters, mussels and algae attach themselves to industrial surfaces and thrive on the margins of global infrastructure. Through sculpture and text, I give these organisms a voice and write poetic stories from their perspective – stories of how they cling to ship hulls, clog pipes, hitchhike unnoticed to new waters and disrupt the very industries that transported them.”

Kyra Nijskens (Ulestraten, 1997) received her Master of Fine Art from the Piet Zwart Institute in 2023. She lives and works in Rotterdam.

The Thief of Tides

I linger in the dark mouths of pipes,
telling drifting tales of migration.

I slide beneath steel gates,
folding myself into the creases of industry’s breath,
feeling the heat of its pulse as it hums.

I am the wanderer, the thief of tides.

I am the silent saboteur,
hitchhiking the waves of globalization.

I bind myself to the pulse of the engine,
slipping between tongues and tides,
gleaming with memories of distant shores.

I listen to the heartbeat of the world and call it home.

Kyra Nijskens, 2025