Thera Hillenaar

Sierra de Aracena (1)
2024
wood, leather, suede
26 x 2 x 15 cm
Sierra de Aracena Wallsculpture
2024
unbleached cotton, car seatbelt straps, elastic band, cord
225 x 125 cm
Sierra de Aracena (2)
2024
wood, leather, suede
30 x 11 x 4,5 cm

Nothing is moving. And yet, everything is.

Clouds drifting without urgency, the earth breathing in slow rhythm these images find their way into my tactile pieces.

Originally trained in fashion and costume design, I have gradually shifted toward autonomous art, guided by a deep fascination with textiles, materials, and craftsmanship. My work explores the dialogue between material, form, and meaning – beyond the body. 

I primarily work with upcycled materials such as wooden children’s toy blocks and reclaimed leather from wardrobes, sofas, and dead stock. These objects carry invisible histories: traces of touch, memory, and play. While not always visible, these past lives are crucial – I build upon them.  Themes of sustainability, memory, and innocence shape my material choices.

For the past two years, I’ve spent time in remote natural areas in Spain, where silence and slowness have reshaped my creative process. These rhythms – subtle, unspoken – have become a central thread in my recent work. What once felt like stillness now reveals a quiet, breathing world.

In contrast to the city’s constant movement, my work offers space for stillness, inviting viewers to slow down, notice, and reconnect with the quiet layers of meaning that live within materials and time.

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Sierra de Aracena (1)
2024
wood, leather, suede
26 x 2 x 15 cm
Sierra de Aracena Wallsculpture
2024
unbleached cotton, car seatbelt straps, elastic band, cord
225 x 125 cm
Sierra de Aracena (2)
2024
wood, leather, suede
30 x 11 x 4,5 cm