The Middle Distance – Architectural Landscapes by Alichia van Rhijn

The sense of fun and play that architects must have when designing must be so rewarding. I’m sure when functionality comes in to play there’s a big discrepancy between what can actually be achieved thanks to the functionality of a build and the materials available at this current time. It doesn’t have to be though! As proven by Alichia van Rhijn, a South-African born Australian artist who disregards these concepts partially for pure creativity and freedom.

Alichia’s background in architecture fuels her designs, but her passion for sculptural and installation-based objects sees her experiment with ceramic, metal and wood to create an exploration of elements that are placed and then displaced, staggered and stacked to construct these intriguing compositions that stimulate aesthetically.

Her method of working, which Alichia coins ‘making as thinking’, see’s her experiment as she goes, choosing to let her inner child-like creativity flow. For me the balance between architectural components and play-like structures is absolutely fascinating and may link back to our experiences as children. Maybe architects need to take a page out of Alichia’s book and create experiences that cover all of the senses to enrich all of our lives for the better. See more compositions like this on Alichia van Rhijn’s portfolio linked below.

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