Frédérique Q.R. Zacharia was born and raised in the Netherlands. Enrolled in art and sculpture classes from a young age, she went on to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague and earned a degree in Interior and Architectural design. After moving to New York in 1985 she worked as an interior architect for Kohn Pedersen Fox Conway Associates in New York City before raising four children. Always with one foot in the arts, she has explored woodworking, welding and sewing, alongside her lifelong passion for photography and design. In 2021, after purchasing her first typewriter, Frédérique embarked on a prolific exploration of its possibilities for making art.

Artist statement

“Something happened to me after I bought my first typewriter, it started a love affair that is hard to describe. There was a profound shift when I realized that although there were letters, there did not need to be words. 

My attraction to the humble typewriter was partially born out of frustration with digital technology. The permanence of a typewritten piece, the undeniable mistakes, and the physical work that is part of it all feel reassuring and wholesome. I enjoy the typewriter’s constraints as well as the complexity of its possibilities. 

I am fascinated by patterns, rhythms and textures as well as the different sounds typewriters make. When I type, rather than counting out the keystrokes I use its rhythmic sounds as a tool, especially when I create more complex patterns. Some of my typewriters have quirks, and after initial frustration I had the liberating realization that I needed to embrace their shortcomings, and use them as opportunities rather than limitations.

Letters and their graphics have always been interesting to me, and for that reason I use a variety of typewriters. They have diverse fonts and alphabets representing a range of languages and cultures, including Japanese, Farsi/Arabic, Hebrew, Greek and Cyrillic. At times I combine multiple typewriters and fonts in the same project. With a growing collection of over 25 typewriters, most between 50 and 100 years old, I still get excited when I find one with new possibilities.

More recently I started using sewing in my projects, which has added a three-dimensional and tactile texture. Sewing is a slow, steady process, and it feels meditative to integrate it into my typed work. 

Three years into this typewriter adventure I have realized that when I am working on a piece, the busyness in my head calms down. The process of typing is tedious yet cathartic. The sound of the typewriter, the need for focus and repetitive action is an introvertive experience that has given me a newfound sense of peace.”

-Frederique Q. R. Zacharia