Elsa Rubio Björk

Education

BA in Fine Arts, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2022–2026

Artschool Distance Course, Konstskolan Distans, Ölands Folkhögskola, 2022–2023

Preparatory year 2 (Fine Arts), Konstskolan 2, Ölands Folkhögskola, Sweden, 2021–2022

Art foundation year, Konstnärlig grundutbildning, Folkuniversitet Stockholm, Sweden, 2020–2021

Exhibitions

2026 “Upspring”, M4 Gastatelier, Amsterdam, NL

2026 “Worn and Seen”, Amsterdam, NL

2025 “New Years Edition by Palet”, curated by Eva Van Wolferen, Sissi’s, Amsterdam, NL

2025 “Mind your Business”, curated by Lorem Ipsum Empire, Amsterdam, NL

2025 “There’s something buzzing in my ear”, Garnalenkerk, Amsterdam, NL. Co-curated together with Siri Tvorup and Nara Kim

2025 “The Sexhop Artshow”, curated by Simomo Bouj, No Limits! Art Castle, Amsterdam, NL

2025 “Bare Bones”, Group Exhibition with Fine Arts 2, curated by Suzanne Van de Ven, Pakt Foundation, Amsterdam, NL

2025 Performer in Sohju Kim’s performance “Crosswalk Talk” at Uncut, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, NL

2024 “I AM OVERWHELMED BY IMAGES”, curated by Anahit Yakubovich, Sexyland, Amsterdam, NL

2024 “Kunstnernes Efterårsudstilling”, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, DK

2023 Performer in Pieke Pleijer’s performance “Mutual Weight” at Uncut, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, NL

2022 “How to dig a Tunnel”, curated by Richard Krantz, Kalmar Contemporary Art Museum, Kalmar, SE

2021 “Socker, Spice & Everything Nice”, Mörbylånga Sugar Mill, Öland, SE

Elsa Rubio Björk (she/her, b. 1998, Cádiz) is a Swedish and Spanish artist based in Amsterdam. In her sculptural practice, Björk works with make-overs; recognizable everyday objects and tropes that get enlarged, distorted, manipulated, or ridiculed. Through replicas and modified ready-mades, she plays with the given associations of objects to examine the relationships we already have to them in order to challenge their narratives. With sharp irony and bold directness, Björk approaches more sensitive subjects such as power structures, social stereotypes as well as gendered and class-based dynamics and processes of objectification. Her work draws inspiration from internet, pop culture and consumerism. Referring to her sculptures as performers, Björk presents well-known tropes and images cast as recognizable characters, starring in a familiar play where the plot has been changed.

Björk’s works have previously been exhibited at Den Frie, Centre of Contemporary Art in Denmark for Kunstnernes Efterårsudstilling 2025, and at Kalmars Contemporary Art Museum, Sweden.