Born in Amsterdam in 1984, Sanne Terweij is a Dutch self-taught artist whose wall works bring together metal, colour and the unpredictable chemistry of oxidation. Her background lies in creative entrepreneurship and scenic work for hospitality and film. Since 2007, she has developed specialist knowledge of ageing, patina and surface treatments through commissions that required materials to suggest use, history and transformation. This practical expertise became the foundation of her autonomous practice.
Sanne Terweij works primarily with brass and copper. In the studio, she uses chemical processes and physical interventions to activate the metals' oxidative properties. Corrosion, usually understood as damage or loss of value, becomes a method of producing colour. Blue, green, violet, red and mineral tones develop across reflective surfaces, creating gradients that cannot be fully predetermined. Terweij guides the process, but the material retains an element of autonomy.
This limited control is central to the work. Oxidation unfolds over time and responds to temperature, application and the specific character of each metal sheet. Terweij repeatedly intervenes, assesses and adjusts, moving between acceptance and correction. The resulting surfaces hold both chemical chance and careful decision-making. They are not painted representations of colour; colour is generated through the transformation of the material itself.
Her wall objects are assembled from hundreds of hand-cut shapes. Oxidised elements are placed alongside polished, brushed or untreated metal, creating tension between roughness and reflection. As the viewer moves, light shifts across the work and activates different areas. The composition appears to change with distance, position and time of day. Transition therefore operates at several levels: in the chemical process, in the contrast between surfaces and in the viewer's changing perception.
Sanne Terweij received a Rising Talent Award from Maison and Objet in 2022. Her work has been shown in Paris, Milan, Amsterdam, Brussels, New York, Stockholm and Hong Kong, and is included in hospitality and maritime collections internationally. NewHouse Gallery represents Sanne Terweij in Amsterdam. Browse available works by Sanne Terweij and explore her exhibition history.