Profile | Artist Savita Hartsteen

Today I’m continuing my ad-hoc series of interviews with independent creatives and makers by chatting to Rotterdam-based artist Savita Hartsteen. She recently launched her first collection of paintings, Grounded Reflections, and it instantly spoke to me. Formed from natural earth pigments on raw canvas, her highly textural, abstract pieces are beautifully calming yet imbued with layers of meaning that encourage you to pause, linger and ponder. 

I’ve been following Savita on Instagram for years and met her in person a few months ago, when Tiffany Grant-Riley and I photographed the beautiful apartment that she shares with her husband Ramon and golden retriever Indie for our upcoming book, Bring The Outside In – Biophilic Design for a Naturally Beautiful Home. Much like her apartment, her work draws a lot of inspiration from nature, so after the shoot I sat down with her to find out more about this, her artistic journey to date, finding fulfilment and how she turned a dream into a reality.  

Top image and above: Drift and What Remains from the Grounded Reflections collection on display in Savita’s home

Hi Savita! Please can you start by sharing a little about yourself and your background? 

“I’ve been creating things for as long as I can remember. As a child, I was always drawing, painting or making things with my hands, and I even drew on the wallpaper with lipstick when I was two and a half (sorry, Mum!). 

“Later I studied Visual Arts & Design at the Academy of Arts, with a specialisation in art education, and I went on to teach others to explore their own creativity. At one point, I even ran art classes for children in my own home, turning the living room into a little classroom. The kids would paint, draw and explore different materials – paper collages, clay, lino printing – and I also took them to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen here in Rotterdam, where we looked at all kinds of art together. We talked about what they saw, what it made them feel, how art speaks to everyone differently and how they, too, had something of their own worth expressing. I look back on that time with such fondness, but somewhere along the way my own artistic practice faded into the background. 

“Years later, something in me reawakened and I felt the strong pull to create again. I needed a way to express what words often can’t: the quiet inner shifts, the traces life leaves behind, the layers we carry within us. When I finally returned to painting, I hadn’t realised just how much joy and meaning it would bring back into my life – it felt like coming home to myself.”

And what made you settle on painting in particular? 

“I’ve always loved painting. My creativity has taken on many forms over the years, but painting has always felt like the most natural way to connect with what I’m feeling or experiencing. There’s something about the process that moves me: the raw canvas, the feeling of the brush or palette knife in my hand, that moment standing in front of a blank canvas when anything is possible. Sometimes I pause to sense what wants to come through, other times I just begin and let intuition lead me. It’s a dance between control and letting go. 

“I also love the paint itself. I love the smell, the texture, the movement. And I love that gritty sound made by the scrape of the brush or knife across the surface. It’s the sound of something taking shape, coming into being. When I paint, I step into a space that feels unlike anything I’ve experienced with other creative practices. It’s a place where I feel free and happy.”

Above: Savita cherishes moments of possibility and contemplation before her artworks unfold

How would you describe your paintings, and has your style evolved over the years? 

“My art is abstract and quiet in tone but rich in texture and feeling, with tactile, layered surfaces that echo the way we carry things within us. Each piece is an invitation to pause and look more closely, to feel what often goes unspoken. I’m drawn to pared-back compositions – not as a limitation, but as a way to give space to the textures and what the viewer might feel. 

“Over time, my style has evolved from figurative and illustrative work into a more intuitive and expressive way of creating. My earlier pieces were often imaginative or symbolic, but they sometimes felt too defined. Like words, images can become overly fixed. I began to feel the need for more room to explore emotion, memory and the marks left by time. Moving into abstraction allowed me to work more freely and connect with those deeper levels. That’s when painting started to feel truly alive for me. It’s also when I began to incorporate texture – initially as a way to add a new dimension, but I quickly discovered how much texture itself can express.”

What inspires your work? 

“So many things! I get endless inspiration from nature, its textures and its quiet transformations. While out walking with Indie I often find beauty and meaning in the smallest details, like lichen growing on a branch. But I’m also inspired by people and their stories, by the way we move through life and all the feelings that come with that. I observe and absorb a lot. A certain light, a line I read, the atmosphere of a place, even a fragment of a melody… I can find myself moved by anything. I don’t always know how these impressions will find their way into my work, but they settle somewhere within me. Eventually, they resurface – perhaps in a texture, a colour, a composition or a movement.”

Above: Veiled Memories from the Grounded Reflections collection

Do you go through any particular rituals or processes when you paint? Do you need to be in a certain mood or a certain place? 

“I have my own studio and when I arrive, I usually start by making a cup of fresh ginger tea. I often spot pigeons on the ledge outside the window and take a moment to watch them. There’s something calming about their stillness – the way they rest there quietly, gazing over the street. I also put on some classical piano music, sit down and just ‘be’ for a bit. That small ritual helps me to centre myself before any work begins. 

“My process is very involved and deeply personal. I like to be present in every step, so that means building the stretcher frames, stapling and stretching the canvas, and carefully priming the surface. I also grind earth pigments into a paste to make my own paint, so the colours feel natural and truly mine. There’s something grounding about preparing the materials by hand. That tactile connection slows me down and allows my work to grow from a place that feels intentional and authentic. 

“When I paint, I work intuitively but not aimlessly. I often begin with a feeling, a memory or something I’ve been carrying, which I then explore in visual form. Sometimes I know from the beginning what a piece is about; other times, the meaning reveals itself as I work. I don’t force anything. There’s a moment when I feel a sense of connection, when I understand what I’m really trying to express, and from there a painting starts to unfold more clearly.”

Above: Savita prepares all her materials by hand, from building her own stretcher frames to grinding natural pigments into paint

Can you tell us more about your first collection, Grounded Reflections? 

“It’s an exploration of our inner landscapes and the hidden yet ever-present layers within us. The title was inspired by my time in nature, where I feel most grounded. I began to see parallels between the natural world and our internal processes: how everything is always shifting and how things leave traces over time. Through the collection, I hope to offer moments of reflection. Each piece holds something personal to me but also leaves space for others to experience it in their own way and to make their own connection with it.

“When I first started working on Grounded Reflections, I imagined releasing it as a complete, finished series. But along the way, I realised this is a theme I want to keep exploring. What I was creating started to feel whole and meaningful on its own, yet also like the beginning of something – a space to build upon. So, I decided to open up the collection and let it unfold further over time, adding new works along the way.”

Above: Letting Go from the Grounded Reflections collection

Creating and then unveiling such a big project is always a big step – exciting and scary in equal measure. What were the highs and lows for you?

“It was a very meaningful moment. It felt like I was truly stepping into the world as an artist, but with that came vulnerability. I was revealing something dear to me and I didn’t know how it would be received. 

“A particular highlight was taking part in a group exhibition during Rotterdam Art Week. I had shown work before, during my time at the art academy, but this felt different – like the start of a new chapter. Having people visit, pause and tell me how my work resonated with them meant the world to me, and some even then reached out to commission pieces, which was incredibly encouraging. 

“Of course, there were also moments of insecurity along the way. I’m a perfectionist, and that can make the process intense. There were days when I felt completely in sync with my work and others when I doubted everything. But I’ve learned to trust that rhythm – the back and forth is part of creating. I often questioned whether a piece was strong enough, or whether the textures would come through in the way I hoped, and some didn’t make it to the finish line. Being critical pushed me to create work that feels right and stays true to what I want it to hold. And I’m proud that I allowed the collection to grow in its own rhythm, trusting that it would come together in the way it needed to.” 

Do you have any personal favourites from the collection? 

“I’ve been asked this by a few people and my answer tends to change depending on how I am in the moment. That said, Silent Storm has stayed very close to me. It reflects the transformations that unfold beneath the surface – the kind that aren’t always visible but shape us in lasting ways. The intentional cracks in the texture embody that inner process. They represent not something broken, but a quiet strength and resilience. Something might carry traces of a storm but still stand firm, and that duality really moves me.” 

Above: Silent Storm – a work that is particular special for Savita

What’s next for you? Any big plans on the horizon? 

“Right now, I’m continuing to work on Grounded Reflections. The collection still feels very alive to me, and there are a few new pieces in progress. I’m also working on commissions and allowing space to keep experimenting within my own practice – always exciting because it can open up unexpected directions. 

“I’m also hoping to find a gallery where people can see my work in person – a place for emotional connection, where pieces can truly be experienced and felt, not just looked at. That kind of setting is important to me. I’m excited to see what comes next!” 

Above: Savita at work in her studio

Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring artists or others looking to follow their own creative dreams? 

“Follow your heart. It’s a beautiful thing when you find what fulfils you, and I believe every dream deserves a chance. Creative paths are rarely straightforward, and your dream might feel distant or unrealistic. But once you allow yourself to see it as something that could become reality, something shifts. 

“What helped me was writing things down in detail. What would your life look like if you were doing what you truly want to do? How would it feel? What would you be creating? Where would you be working? How would your day unfold? Visualising your dream can bring it closer, and you might start to feel a spark, a sense of possibility, a drive to begin. From that place of excitement, ask yourself: ‘What’s one step I can take today to move closer to that vision?’.  It doesn’t have to be a huge leap, but it does require action. 

“As an example, I never imagined I’d be able to get my own studio, especially here in Rotterdam where demand is high. But I started to visualise stepping into a space that was mine, painting there in my favourite white blouse and building a creative rhythm. That mental image spurred me to start reaching out and visiting spaces, until one day I heard the wonderful words ‘The studio is yours.’ Nothing happens without effort and you have to show up, even when it feels uncertain or uncomfortable.”

Very inspiring advice to end on – thanks Savita!

Visit Savita’s website to see more of her work. You can also find her on Instagram and in my upcoming book, which you can pre-order here. 

All photography courtesy of Savita Hartsteen

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