Rio Drop is an artist from The Netherlands whose artistic roots lie in Örebro, Sweden. The lively and involved local art scene directed the subject of her work towards body identity and precarity, and in her current bachelor at the Royal Academy in The Hague (NL) she researches concepts that resonate with sentient objects and the human body. Over the last year she has been scavenging to find materials, colours and textures that connect with these ideas, and this summer she will connect the dots in a three month residency, given as an opportunity by the artist collective KonstBunkern. Instagram: @riodrop

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Where would you like your work to take you?

I want my work to help me get an understanding of my direct surroundings and what happens in it, the world that I live in, by zooming in aesthetically and/or conceptually. My work helps me to meet other people who are open to this as well.

Which part of your creative process do you enjoy most?

I love the aha-moment. Sometimes it's the moment an idea arrives, suddenly and quickly, and sometimes it's the moment I come to an understanding after a longer period of contemplation.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

I mostly get inspired from direct experiences, and the best thing is when my subconscious transforms them into artworks in my dreams. Sometimes I see a new work very clearly just before I wake up, and I just know I have to make it.

What piece of music would you say compliments your work the most?

Last year You Look Certain, (I'm Not So Sure) by Mount Kimbie was my anthem in regards to how I felt creatively. I had just started a bachelor of fine art, so it was a confusing time. The song helped me to understand this feeling as something normal, that would pass eventually, and to accept it as part of my artistic process.

Can you list a couple other creatives/friends/people you look to for inspiration?

My partner Kole Bristen is my muse, he is oftentimes the subject or starting point of my work. We share our studio, though we do really different things; firstly he makes music and sometimes also videos. He is always the first one who I pass by my thoughts.
The friends who inspire me most are artists who pushed me to take myself further and let me learn from their experience: artist couple Ludivine and Benny Andersson and video artist Fikret Atay.