Introduction
The Dutch artist Isabelle Van Zeijl creates luxuriant self-portraits that are enchanting at first glance and thought-provoking on closer inspection.
The modern photographs arise in the tradition of the Golden Age of the Netherlands where floral still life blossomed and Rembrandt became famous for his interplay with contrasts. What initially resembles Renaissance beau ideals literally breaks with the ideal: Looked at more closely, the noble alabaster skin, as delicate as expensive porcelain, reveals fine cracks resembling centuries-old masterpieces in painting on whose surfaces time left its mark, surrounded by wild and graceful floridity and its radiant symbolism: of beauty and transience, between vitality and mortality, blooming and withering. The motif of the flower and the woman side by side, two beings not only representative of beauty but also of the power to nourish and making life itself possible. In the style of the groundbreaking era of the 17th century, also referred to as Dutch Realism for its lifelike still lifes and the rejection of idealization, she portrays not only the precious but also the seemingly imperfect facet in a poetic manner. While the natural aging process, especially in regard to femininity, is often negatively connotated in art, it fundamentally signifies high value. Van Zeijl points not only a finger at the essential issue of the evanescence of beauty and the beauty of evanescence – she rather points the way artistically with her whole body.
By combining modern elements with elements from the past and drawing on the style of the Golden Age and ideals of beauty of the Renaissance, the artist shows: Whether in view of femininity or periods of art – florescence and golden ages are not restricted to a certain period of time.
Bio
1980 Born in The Netherlands
2017 Winner, The Young Masters Emerging Woman Art Prize, London
2019 Artwork on the cover of Harpers Bazaar Magazine
2019 Debut Solo Art Show in London, UK
Awards
2017 Winner, The Young Masters Emerging Woman Art Prize, London
Fine Art Photography Awards, London work: MOONSHOT
Fine Art Photography Awards, London work: HER
Prix de la Photographie Paris, work: SHE
Exhibitions
Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, France
The White Elephant, Nantucket, US
Claes Iversen Collection, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Robert & Karen Duncan, Nebraska, US
Ellen & Gerald Sigal, Washington DC, US
Edgar Schermerhorn Collection, The Netherlands
Museum Amsterdam Castle, The Netherlands
