Natalie de Klijn (b. 1962) is a visual artist who brings her love for both humans and animals to life in bronze and drawings. After a career as a voice-over artist and actress, she discovered her true calling in sculpting following the death of her beloved Vizsla dog: capturing what you hold dear has since become the heart of her work. In her studio in Tijnje, Friesland, she creates both personal projects and commissioned works. With a pronounced preference for dogs and horses, she conveys movement, character, and emotion with striking recognizability. Her sculptures are infused with lifelike presence and a high “cuddliness factor”: you don’t just see the forms, you feel the softness and essence of the animal. Each piece emerges in her studio as a quest for expression. She aims not merely to capture an animal, but to convey something essential — “bringing the bronze to life,” as she herself puts it. In addition to her sculptural work, Natalie writes poetry and creates cards and mini booklets exploring themes such as love, death, and the bond between humans and dogs, always seeking resonance and emotion.