Berend Strik is a Dutch contemporary artist known for his distinctive practice of stitching into photographs and textiles. Working from his Amsterdam studio, he transforms found and personal imagery through needle, thread, and mixed media, creating layered works that sit at the intersection of photography, painting, and textile art. His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in private and institutional collections worldwide. He's also sometimes a naughty man.

Berend works primarily with stitching on photographic prints, canvas, and mixed media textiles. More than a third of his works are stitched entirely by hand, while smaller pieces are crafted on the sewing machine. He uses C-prints, Tyvek, wire, beads, and various fabrics as base materials. Each work begins with a photographic image, often sourced from family archives, vintage magazines, or his own photographs, which he then transforms through layers of thread and textile.

Berend's work explores vulnerability, intimacy, identity, and the tension between concealment and revelation. By stitching over photographs, he questions what we see and what remains hidden. Recurring themes include the human body in states of exposure and protection, the transformation of found imagery into something deeply personal, and a dialogue with art history through his 'Deciphering The Artist's Mind' series, where he reimagines the studios of artists like Marcel Duchamp, Jo Baer, Lee Krasner, and Seth Siegelaub.

This is one of Berend's most significant ongoing bodies of work. In this series, he creates stitched C-prints and mixed media textiles inspired by the studios and practices of legendary artists. Each piece is a meditation on creative legacy, featuring works referencing Marcel Duchamp, Jo Baer, Lee Krasner, Richard Tuttle, Seth Siegelaub, and others. The series ranges from intimate 30x30cm pieces to the monumental 213x212cm 'all colors' work. Through stitching, Berend creates his own visual dialogue with these masters.

Berend works with a wide range of materials: C-prints (chromogenic photographic prints), Tyvek (a synthetic fabric used as a printing substrate), canvas, wire, beads, and various mixed media textiles. His thread choices range from fine hand-stitching thread to heavier machine thread, and he often combines multiple fabric layers. Some works incorporate elements of collage, with printed photographs serving as the foundation for textile intervention.

The source material varies across the body of work. Some pieces use photographs from his personal family archive, creating deeply autobiographical works. Others draw from vintage magazines dating back to the 1980s, while the 'Deciphering The Artist's Mind' series uses imagery connected to the studios and exhibitions of historical artists. Berend also works with images of the body, sometimes sourced from unexpected contexts like adult magazines, which he transforms through stitching into something intimate and tender.

Berend's works range from intimate small-format pieces (15x13cm 'Restitched', 15x21cm 'Umbrella Stitched') to medium works (30x30cm, 50x50cm), larger canvases (60x45cm, 60x90cm, 75x90cm), and monumental pieces such as 'Deciphering The Artist's Mind, all colors' at 213x212cm. The Amsterdam Drawings series typically works at A4 scale. Each format serves the content: smaller works invite close inspection of stitching detail, while larger pieces create immersive visual experiences.

Selected works are available through gallery representation and direct studio contact. For pricing, availability, and acquisition inquiries, please reach out via the contact form on this website or email berend.strik@gmail.com directly. Berend's works are collected internationally by private collectors and institutions. Given the handmade nature of each piece, every work is unique.

Berend's textile and photographic works should be displayed away from direct sunlight to preserve the integrity of both the photographic prints and the thread work. Works on Tyvek and canvas can be displayed unframed or framed behind UV-protective glass. The stitched surfaces should not be touched, as oils from hands can affect the thread and fabric over time. For specific conservation guidance on a particular piece, please inquire directly.

Berend Strik's work is regularly exhibited at international art fairs and gallery exhibitions. In March 2026, selected works are on view at Art Rotterdam (27-29 March, Van Nellefabriek, Rotterdam), presented through Galerie Weisbard. For upcoming exhibitions and viewing appointments at the Amsterdam studio, please contact us through this website.

The body of work is organized into three main categories. Fine Art encompasses the stitched photographs, C-prints on Tyvek, and mixed media textile works that form the core of Berend's practice. Amsterdam Drawings is a series of A4-scale works that function as quick, sharp visual observations, often more raw and immediate in character. Public Art includes sculptural works such as the clay vases series, extending Berend's material vocabulary beyond the flat surface.

Stitched photography occupies a rare position in contemporary art, bridging the mechanical reproduction of photography with the handmade intimacy of textile craft. Each stitch is a deliberate mark that both obscures and reveals the underlying image. The viewer's experience changes with movement and light: colors shift, hidden elements emerge, and the boundary between image and object dissolves. This interplay makes each encounter with the work genuinely different, something a flat photograph or painting alone cannot achieve.