Biography

Protecting by fragile beauty, that’s what I want. I try to imagine and protect my own memories and my feelings about femininity. I prefer to wrap and embellish the female body with fragile beauty. But it’s also nice to imagine my world of memories in textile objects and pen drawings. I use delicate old materials, soft earthy colors and fine handicraft techniques, and like to be seduced by broken stones and shells as carriers of memories. They too must be protected with fragile beauty.



Sylvia Terwisscha van Scheltinga was born on 2 November 1955 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. In 1985 she graduated from the Academy of Visual Training in Tilburg.

After that, she lived in Nicaragua for 3 years. In addition to her painting, she teaches at the Academía Nacional del Artes Plásticas of Managua. Her work from that time consists mainly of human figures in watercolour. In Nicaragua she participates in group exhibitions several times. In 1987 she had her first personal exhibition with “Formas en acuarela”, both in Managua (Nicaragua) and Tilburg.

In 1992 she moved and worked in Gorinchem. Besides painting, she also works as an independent cultural educator.

In 2010 she finally gives in to her true passion; imagining her own world in textiles.

Since March 2011 she has been working full-time as an autonomous artist. In textiles she can tell her story, her memories, her feelings about protection, softness, empathy and above all vulnerability.

Since April 2019 Sylvia lives and works in both the Netherlands and Colombia.

2011

  • Exhibition painting and drawings commissioned “Het voormalig Agnietenklooster in woord en beeld”, Foundation de Holtzfonds, Under the Church Tower, Gorinchem
  • The above mentioned work is included in the historical collection of the Gorcums Museum,
  • 1st Exhibition of some textile clothing objects during the Lustrum days of the NVKKMS, Gorcums Museum, Gorinchem

2012

  • Persoonous exhibition “Vormenspel” in Gorinchem Town Hall, Gorinchem, paintings and pen drawings, including first presentation of 3 textile clothing objects
  • Participation Art Route Woudrichem, textile objects, drawings and paintings
  • Group exhibition “Natuur in de kunst”, Galerie Swarte Ram, Doesburg, textile hand objects
  • National Art Week, workshop on location and exhibition during Open Day of the Artotheek, Gorinchem. a work purchased by Artotheek.
  • As a textile artist included in the book “Textiel Leeft”, edition Textiellink, Ellen Bakker

2013

  • Personal exhibition at Bank van Noppes, Gorinchem
  • Participation Kunstroute Werkendam, Dussen
  • Group exhibition “Textiel Leeft”, 75 textile artists, Artist Village Zweeloo
  • Participation Kunstroute Woudrichem, Woudrichem
  • Group exhibition “Kunstkado”, Galerie Swarte Ram, Doesburg
  • Inshop exhibition by collaboration, De Wijngoden, Eindhoven
  • Participation ”Nationale Kunstdagen”, Van Nelle Design Factory, Rotterdam
  • Exhibition as a textile artist by invitation, during Handicraft and Quilt days, Arnhem

2014

  • Participation exhibition “Te mooi om weg te gooien”, Gorcums museum, Gorinchem,
  • Participation exhibition “Kunstrijk”, R&G-Art-Galery, Waalwijk
  • Guest artist, Artist collective Huisterheide, Huis ter Heide
  • Presentation decorating shoulder object, linked to the exhibition “Pronkstukken”, Gorcums Museum, Gorinchem
  • In the display case of the Digital Newsletter July 2014, www.textielplus.nl
  • Article “Voelen en stoeien, kunst met een verborgen boodschap”: Textile portrait in Handwerk zonder grenzen no. 184
  • Personal exhibition “Vulnerable Beauty”, Textiles and drawings, Galerie de Roos, Tilburg
  • Photo book “Vulnerable Beauty”, textile objects and drawings 2011 – 2014

2015

  • Participation exhibition “Verraad”, Maria Cristina Church, Den Dolder
  • Participation Art Manifestation “The Secret of Fort Vuren, Vuren
  • Water and Land, Textile Festival, Leiden
  • Participation “Linnen uit de kast, in de kunst”, Museum De Koperen Knop, Hardinxveld-Giessendam
  • Participation “Textiel Leeft”, Textile Route Borne et al., from Museum Bussemakerhuis
  • “Tilburg Textiel Tiendaagse”, Tilburg, Galerie de Roos, 6-15 September
  • Group exhibition “Woman4Art shares secrets with artists of the Kunstcafé”, Woman4Art, Gorinchem
  • R&G Art-Galery, Waalwijk, from 22 November

2016

  • R&G Art-Galery, Waalwijk, until 20 January
  • Small exhibition “Materials that inspire me” , De Gangerie, Gorinchem, 13- 28 February
  • Participation exhibition “Floralia, ode to the flower by artists of today”, Gorcums Museum, Gorinchem, from 2 April to 11 September 2016. 3 textile “aprons” in which the flower is processed as a symbol of female vulnerability.

2017

  • Photo book “in detail/detalle”, presentation book for exhibitions, 2017
  • Huntingenkunst, international art event, Ulft, 19, 20 and 21 May 2017
  • Textile festival Weerribben, location Ossenzijl, 9.10 and 11 June 2017
  • Summer Art 2017, Het Reghthuys, Nieuwkoop, 17- 23 July 2017
  • Publication “My textile experience, my art”, in textile magazine VEZEL, number 4, December 2017.

2018

  • Participation “Pakje kunst Kunstenaars”, Galerie De Etage, Gorinchem 14 January to 4 April 2018
  • Participation “Voor de draad ermeet”, the art of embroidery and “Stitch Art”, Gorcums Museum, Gorinchem, 7 April to 9 September 2018
  • Participation “Mathildedag Terneuzen”, catwalk in Scheldetheater, 7 July 2018
  • Participation “Mathildefestival Terneuzen, old Post Office, 7 July to 5 August 2018
  • Film “Sylvia Terwisscha by Scheltinga, visual artist”, by Henk Ganzenboom, August 2018
  • Participation art event “Gorinchem Golden Century-NU!”, Gorinchem, 15 September to 20 October 2018
  • Participation “Textiel Leeft”, Kantfabriek, Horst, 28 October to 30 December 2018
  • Participation “Women”, flash exhibition Kunzt, Zwijndrecht, 14 to 18 November 2018