Thierry van Ryswyck
Cacadou

Thierry Van Rijswijck was born March 1911 in Antwerp, Belgium. He was educated at the Antwerp Academy, before emerging as a highly successful animal sculptor. He worked regularly at Antwerp Zoo, and counted Albéric Collin and Raymond de Meester de Betzenbroeck among his friends and colleagues.

Around 1935, Van Rijswijck, now being considered a talented, bold sculptor and prolific ceramicist, settled in Paris, where he regularly took part in exhibitions. In 1954 he exhibited his works with success in the cosmopolitan milieu of Monte Carlo. Apart from some portraits and figurines of workers, most of his works portrayed exotic animals, mainly mammals, and often young in age.

Although he rarely dated his pieces, the sculptures of Van Rijswijck represent the Art Deco period. Van Rijswijck also paid great attention to the play of light on the animals’ fur, feather or skin, which depicted motion. The anatomical particularities of each species sometimes led him to create sleek geometric volumes, creating an exceptional decorative effect.

When looking at his models, specifically parrots and macaws, one can see that he was fascinated by both the intriguing uniqueness of each individual and their mysterious inaccessibility.

Van Rijswijk was interested in all aspects of ceramics and regularly visited the pottery region of Vallauris, on the Côte d’Azur. His life as an artist was cut short due to a car accident in 1958, whereby he lost his life. Nevertheless until today his works are displayed in museums worldwide and at private collections.