About
Esméralda van Kekem (Rotterdam,2000) is an Angolan- Dutch designer based in Utrecht. She is a graduated Spatial Designer from HKU University of the Arts (2024/2025) Utrecht. With a deep fascination for textiles and spatial storytelling.
Her work exists at the intersection of fashion, film, performance, set design, art and installation design. She primarily uses textile structures as a medium to create narratives that extend beyond the visual, aiming to evoke emotional and sensory experiences. Through an interdisciplinary approach, she explore’s the relationship between people, space and material. Creating environments that tell stories an invite presence, reflection and connection.
Collaboration plays a vital role in her creative process. She believes that meaningful work emerges through dialogue, where diverse perspectives merge into something layered and powerful. By combining fashion and spatial design, her practice reflects the idea that disciplines do not exist in isolation, but are deeply connected to emotion, memory and human interaction.
Through installations and cinematic projects, she aims to create work that resonates on a personal level. Inviting introspection, vulnerability and a shared sense of belonging.
Esméralda van Kekem
Returning to the Netherlands created a strong contrast. The familiarity of everyday life felt distant and still, which intensified a sense of longing for the energy and grounding I had experienced abroad. This emotional shift became the beginning of a new chapter in my life and artistic journey.
Through both challenging and beautiful experiences, I came to understand the importance of giving back. Art became a way to process, heal and contribute, not only for myself, but for others. Rather than limiting myself to a single discipline, I embraced an interdisciplinary path where experimentation and collaboration became essential.
With my installations, I aim to create spaces where people can pause, reflect and reconnect with themselves and others. Textiles play a central role in this process, symbolizing resilience, interdependence and collective strength. Just as individual threads form a woven structure, I see human connection as something built over time through shared experiences. By combining tactile materials with subtle spatial atmospheres, I create environments that invite both visual and emotional engagement.
My artistic practice is rooted in an ongoing exploration of identity and connectedness within an increasingly fast-paced, hectic and complex world, a world where being present often feels overshadowed by constant movement toward the future.
Being half Dutch and half Angolan has deeply shaped my perspective. For a long time, I felt disconnected from parts of my identity, navigating an internal search for belonging. As the years passed, I became more aware of how these different cultural layers coexist within me, even when I struggled to fully understand them.
A turning point came during my journey to Brazil in 2024. There, I encountered the deeper meaning of AXÉ, a spiritual force connected to energy, community and shared presence. The experience felt transformative, almost like a healing process filled with profound realizations. I was deeply moved by the passion of the people, the rhythm of the language and the strong sense of collective togetherness. For the first time, I experienced a feeling of home that transcended geography.
My journey
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