Between 2023 and 2025, Tessa Wagenaar developed a series of works that examine the anatomy of inner states: the movements beneath the surface of everyday life. In these paintings she weaves together personal events and thoughts, the emotions of loved ones, and the reverberations of a world in flux.

Across these three works she journeys through pain, rupture, vulnerability, and growth, revealing her perspective on love, struggle, and self-reflection. The Anatomy of Inner States marks a period in which Wagenaar uncovers her inner world through questioning, ordering, and painting. An intimate exploration of the self, rendered in image.