Tineke Wilde adeptly renders human figure in her quietly spiritual works of sculpture. Her ceramic figures as well as her paintings possess a tactile, human quality and soulfulness that results from their purposeful imperfection. As she models both clay and paint, the artist deliberately allows surfaces to remain uneven, as she believes these perceived flaws enhance each work’s emotional value and emotive qualities. Although Wilde chooses subject matter relating directly to her everyday life and draws inspiration from the domestic sphere, the majority of her body of work carries an underlying theme around freedom and choice. With an interest in mythology and women’s issues, Tineke Wilde utilizes goddess figures, like the Egyptian deity Bast to address the concepts of motherhood, birth, and familial relationships. 

Born in the Netherlands,  Wilde immigrated to New Zealand in 1981.  She now lives and works near Auckland.