Rio Drop (b. 1992, the Netherlands) obtained her Bachelor's degree from the Royal Academy of Fine Art The Hague. After graduating in 2022, she relocated to Örebro, Sweden, where she previously received foundational artistic training.
Her work emerges from concept, letting materiality follow after this. As a result, her practice extends over a variety of media, such as sculpture, installation, video, print and performance. Valuing ‘the real’ over representation for its self-referentiality and its ability to connect to lived experience, she incorporates pre-existing objects into her work. It most frequently takes the shape of assemblage. Recent works have focussed on the themes of loss and resilience, reclamation of the body, and expectations placed upon womanhood.
In 2021, she was the first resident of artist collective KonstBunkern’s summer studio programme. The residency culminated in the exhibition skin (textile) body, to which she invited the artist Daria Edström as a collaborator. In addition to her studio practice, Drop teaches art theory at Örebro Art College, with a focus on practical exercises to prepare students to work independently in the field of art.
Previous solo exhibitions include Point of view at Bunkern Gallery, Örebro (2018) and Let Your Hair Down at The Contemporary Garage, Örebro (2017). Her work has been included in exhibitions in Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands and Malta.


Education
2019 - 2022 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague NL
2016 - 2019 Fine Arts Foundation, Örebro Art College, Örebro SE

Solo exhibitions
2026 Detroit Stockholm, Stockholm SE (upcoming April 2026)
2025 Laxå Konsthall, Laxå SE (upcoming fall/winter 2025/2026)
2025 Studio K18, Stockholm SE (upcoming July 2025)
2021 Sommarresident, Paviljong Lux, Örebro SE
2018 Point of view, Bunkern Gallery, Örebro SE
2017 Let your hair down, The Contemporary Garage, Örebro SE

Selected group exhibitions
2024 Vintersalong, Katrineholms Konsthall, Katrineholm SE
2024 Gränsland, Konstfrämjandet Bergslagen, Örebro SE
2023 Samutställning, Haiku Gallery, Örebro SE
2023 Pop-Up Festival, Pop-Up Arts, Copenhagen DK
2022 Vi Iakttar En Tyst Minut, Lindbacka Galleri, Örebro SE
2022 Graduation exhibition, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague NL
2022 (Post)Human Imaginaries, Spaarnestad Photo, The Hague NL
2021 As Is, Where Is, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague NL
2021 skin (textile) body, with Daria Edström, Paviljong Lux, Örebro SE
2021 Review, Trixie, The Hague NL
2019 Things Will Change, TENT, Rotterdam NL
2019 Up and Coming, Örebro Konsthall, Örebro SE
2019 Rio Drop & Charlotte Ostritsch, Galleri Exposé, Örebro SE
2018 Mahalla festival: Generating New Narratives, Diyalog Dernegi, Valletta MT
2018 Svensk Konst Nu!, Nora Art, Nora SE
2018 Slättens Vårsolanche, Galleri Slätten, Malmö SE

Professional experience
2024             Assistant to stone sculptor Jelena Rundqvist
2023 -  now Lector in art theory, Örebro Konstskola

Grants and residencies
2024 Danielsgårdens vistelsestipendium, Kulturenheten i Rättvik SE
2024 Främjandestöd, Region Örebro Län
2023 Artistry Development Grant, Konstnärscentrum Mitt
2023 International Grant - Culture, Region Örebro Län
2021 Summer Studio Residency, KonstBunkern SE
2018 International Grant - Culture, Region Örebro Län
2018 Studio Scholarship, Örebro Art College

Press