Tijs Dragtsma (1992) - Lovers in Light

Lovers in Light

In Lovers in Light two faces meet in the silence just before a kiss. No background. No distraction. Only darkness. light. tension. and the fragile space between two people.

The image is built from contrast. The figures almost disappear into the black surface. Yet the smallest reflection of light reveals emotion. intimacy. vulnerability. and connection.

This work is part of my Art with Scratch series. A unique technique in which the image is not painted or printed. It is created by physically scratching the surface of acrylic glass. Every line catches the light differently. Because of this the artwork changes with the room. the viewing angle. and the light around it.

From one side the image appears soft and quiet. From another angle it becomes sharper. almost cinematic. The work is not fully visible at once. It asks the viewer to move. to look again. to come closer.

A poetic and intimate artwork about love. silence. closeness. and the invisible tension between two souls.

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.