Ilva Nieuwstraten

Ilva Nieuwstraten was born on April 20, 1996, in Voorburg, near The Hague. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague in 2024, specializing in Interactive / Media / Design. Her academic journey also includes studies at Tokyo Zokei University and Warmonderhof, as well as residencies at Great Vow Zen Monastery and Zen River Temple. These experiences have shaped her into a conceptual creator who deeply values nature and environmental awareness. Nieuwstraten’s work aims to heal and offer insights into coping with the stresses and imbalances of modern life through art.

Niksnut / Good for Nothing, a video installation that examines the toll of modern-day life on mental and physical health. Her work captures serene scenes in various parks around The Hague, where she practices mindfulness by immersing herself in nature and doing nothing. The artist lies in the landscape, letting ants crawl over her nose and feeling the touch of sand on her skin, transforming these moments into ‘living paintings’. Through this, she challenges the pace and pressures of contemporary society, advocating for a more balanced, grounded existence.