Strik Tekening

Strik Tekening (Strik Drawing, 1969) is an early work by Berend Strik, dating from when the artist was approximately 9 years old — a remarkable indication of his artistic activity from childhood.

Strik (born 1960, Nijmegen) was only 9 years old when this work was made. Drawing remains central to Strik's practice even as he works in photography, textile, sculpture, and architecture. The act of drawing — making marks on a surface — parallels his stitching practice: both involve the physical act of adding to a surface, building up layers of meaning through accumulated marks.

Works from this early period offer insight into the origins of an artist who would go on to develop one of the most distinctive signatures in contemporary Dutch art — the stitched photograph that transforms mechanical reproduction into handcrafted object.

Sources: Artist practice, Nijmegen archives