De Blauwe Dodo by Pepijn van den Nieuwendijk
This sculpture of a dodo, richly adorned with Delft blue decorations, is a creation by artist Pepijn van den Nieuwendijk. The artwork is called De Blauwe Dodo. At first glance, a dodo and Delft blue pottery may seem to have nothing in common, but a deeper dive into history reveals an interesting connection. Pepijn enjoys exploring the histories of Asia and the Netherlands, blending old stories with unique objects and impressions he gathers during his travels. This journey led him to the story of the dodo, a charming, flightless bird with virtually no natural predators.
That is, until Dutch traders arrived on the island in the 17th century, disrupting the dodo’s environment. The bird was hunted, and new predators like monkeys and pigs were introduced, while some dodos were taken aboard ships as gifts for emperors or as curiosities. These events ultimately led to the extinction of the dodo. De Blauwe Dodo is a time traveler, wandering the world as a lone adventurer in search of kindred spirits and a new home.