Page Title
Anna van Dorsten
Voices of Women
1 March - 1 May 2026
Anna van Dorsten and Voices of Women
Within Voices of Women, Anna van Dorsten’s work introduces a tactile and deeply embodied dimension. Her soft sculptures and textile art invite viewers to reconsider strength not as rigidity, but as resilience; as the capacity to transcend ourselves; daring and caring.
Working primarily with wool, Anna engages with this material both as a medium as a metaphor. Wool evokes associations of protection, warmth and shelter — qualities that resonate strongly within the framework of this exhibition. Her recurring egg like and womb-inspired forms suggest origin, vulnerability and shared space, echoing the exhibition’s focus on embodied perspective and lived experience.
The element of chance in her felting process mirrors the unpredictability of human development. Fibers interlock organically, forming structures that are neither fully controlled nor entirely accidental. This co-creative dialogue between artist and material reflects the psychological depth underlying her practice.
In Voices of Women, Anna’s work becomes a quiet yet powerful reminder that caring softness and interconnection are not fragile qualities, but essential forces. Her sculptures create spaces that feel nurturing and intimate, while simultaneously reflecting broader cycles of growth, transformation and renewal.
About Anna van Dorsten
BEDRIJF
I am a textile artist based in Amsterdam, known for my soft sculptures and textile works created with various types of wool, silk, yarn and embroidery thread. In my practice, I explore the human need for warmth, security and connection — much like the womb as the original sphere, symbolising shared space and co-existence.
Wool, with its softness, resilience and tactile presence, allows me to express both vulnerability and strength. In a world that often feels fragmented and accelerated, I am am driven by a desire to express qualities of care , compassion and vulnerability. Egg-like forms frequently recur in my work, signifying growth, renewal and the fragile beginnings of life.
I am deeply connected to the physical act of working with wool — touching, compressing and shaping it through felting. Felt, a non-woven textile created by compressing wool with olive soap and water, emerges both through intention and unpredictability. Chance plays a crucial role in the final form: fibers interlock randomly, resulting in a process that can be seen as a co-creation between artist and material.
My works deliberately remain unfinished and frameless, embracing imperfection and a sense of becoming. My previous career as a psychologist showed me how we continously renew ourselves in an ever-repeating cylcle of birth, growth and decay. Organic forms in nature embody this process and guide me in the designs for my works.
Anna van Dorsten has exhibited in group shows including (re)Discoveries Paris (2025) and (2024–2025), BigArt (2023–2024), Maison Bailly Verbier (2026), as well as solo exhibitions at Maison Bailly GLUE Amsterdam (2021, 2022, 2025) and Handelsgebouw Rotterdam (2025).
