Julie de Ruijter

Julie de Ruijter is a ritualistic artist with roots in both the Netherlands and Switzerland. Moving at the intersection of art and design, Julie explores the transformative power of rituals. Through contemporary ritualistic spaces, objects and experiences, she creates portals into our inner landscape. These works serve as invitations to connect to our bodies, imagination and natural rhythms in an intuitive way.

Julie’s work focuses on the creation and research of contemporary symbols and rituals. Her practice integrates textile art, natural materials, interactive technology, spatial design, scent, and sound to create multisensory experiences. She weaves innovative technology with traditional techniques to create these meaningful experiences. Projects like “Totem” exemplify this approach, where artworks are created through heart rhythm recordings during interactive rituals. The installation simultaneously functions as a ritual artwork and an invitation to participate in the creation process.

Through her work, Julie studies phases of transformation within and around us. She reflects on our interconnectedness with nature—not as separate entities, but as integral parts of a greater whole. Her practice aims to address the imbalance created by our perceived separation from the natural world, both internally and externally.

The start of Julie’s ritualistic work is rooted in a time when she felt deeply disconnected from her physical body, feelings and surroundings. Here she began to create new rituals as a way to reconnect with her own natural rhythm and intuition, and to align herself with the cycles and movements of the natural world. As Julie observed similar struggles of many around her with mental wellness and navigating the challenges of our times, she felt inspired to share her rituals and practices through her artistic work. Drawing on her background in fashion and textile design, Julie’s work combines traditional textile techniques with modern elements.

Julie views humans as transformative beings, connected to our natural cycles and the movement of the whole. She believes that to create new systems of life that are in balance with the whole, we must move beyond intellectual understanding and into embodied experience. Her vision is that by marking transitions through rites that are connected to our landscape, place, and time, we can better understand our interconnectedness with the world around us and find a way of belonging.

Her work and ritualistic practices have been exhibited at prestigious institutions including Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Bright Moments Gallery Berlin, and the Art Blocks Festival in Marfa, Texas.

Contact

Email: julie@studiopoca.nl
Instagram@juliederuijter

Location: The Hague, Netherlands