Echo of Us Some relationships are built through grand moments. Others are shaped quietly, through countless small interactions that leave their mark over time. In Echo of Us, two figures emerge from thousands of scratches engraved into acrylic glass. Individually, each line appears fragile and insignificant. Together, they form a portrait of connection. A visual reminder that the strongest bonds are rarely created in a single moment, but through an accumulation of shared experiences, memories and traces left behind. The scratches in the acrylic glass are not merely a technique; they are the language of the work. Each mark permanently alters the surface, much like every encounter, conversation and emotion leaves an imprint on the people we love. What first appears to be damage gradually reveals itself as creation. The image exists in a delicate balance between presence and absence. From a distance, two figures seem to merge into a single form. Up close, the illusion dissolves into thousands of individual scratches, each contributing to something far greater than itself. The work invites the viewer to move between these perspectives, discovering how intimacy is often found in the space between the individual and the whole. Light plays a central role in this process. As it moves across the engraved acrylic surface, the image continuously shifts, appearing and disappearing depending on the viewer's position. In this sense, the artwork mirrors human relationships themselves: never static, always evolving, shaped by perspective and time. Echo of Us is a reflection on connection, vulnerability and permanence. It explores the idea that while moments may fade, the marks they leave behind continue to shape who we are. Just as every scratch contributes to the image, every shared experience contributes to the story of two lives becoming intertwined. "Some bonds are not seen. They are remembered." About Art with Scratch Art with Scratch is a self developed artistic medium in which imagery emerges through controlled abrasion of acrylic glass. Rather than applying pigment. Dragtsma constructs form through scratching. erosion and repetition. The works are built on acrylic glass panels. The surface is physically altered through thousands of deliberate micro interventions. Each scratch functions as a structural mark within a larger system of density. contrast and light interaction. Light is not external. It is activated by the surface itself. It breaks. scatters and reforms the image depending on viewing angle and intensity. The result is a work that exists between presence and disappearance. Each piece is shaped by process. pressure and material resistance. The outcome is never fully static. It remains in constant visual flux. About the Artist . Tijs Dragtsma Tijs Dragtsma is a Dutch contemporary artist and founder of TD Fine Art Studio. His practice operates at the intersection of material. absence and light. with a focus on developing new artistic languages rather than following existing conventions. He is widely known for his Art with Nails series and his expanding Art with Scratch practice. in which imagery is constructed either through impact or controlled abrasion. Both bodies of work explore structure. perception and the transformation of surface into image. Since beginning his artistic practice in 2024. his works have entered private collections across Europe. Asia and the United States. His work is driven by experimentation. precision and a long term vision focused on material integrity and physical presence.