Artist: Michelle Blancke

Hahnemühle fine art print, mounted on dibond, edition of 10 (+ 1 A.P.). With black wooden frame € 100 extra.

Also available sizes 60 x 90 cm and 80 x 120 cm

Michelle Blancke (1984) is a lens-based visual artist from Amsterdam. She graduated from the Fotoacademie in May 2023, with a strong foundation in the three-year Conceptual Image program. Her work has been noticed, with features in several articles. A highlight is the Dutch Magazine HP/De Tijd, showcasing the work of eight recent art graduates. She is selected by Fresh Eyes International as Conceptual Talent 2023.

Michelle uses photographic techniques to give form to her vision on the world around her. She removes context and intensifies with composition, framing and colour in a way that resembles painting. It seems as though her images continue beyond that what can be seen in the photo. Light and dark are in balance. The result is an intense, abstracted reality, with a sense of looking at something familiar in a new way.

Artist Statement

Nature is a sanctuary. Immersed in the natural world, we experience a pure force. It brings us in touch with something larger. We might even catch a glimpse of the essence of our existence. For me, being in nature opens me up to the mysteries of life. Wandering thought-free, I become aware of the energy in the trees, the waters, even in the rocks. An energy in myself awakens as well, and unexplored parts of myself come to light. I find an opening to a hidden world, beyond the visible. A Secret Garden.

“Secret Garden. The archetypical image these words suggests roots deeply to our collective subconscious, creating a link to the Garden of Eden. This image resonates with the Western tradition, but in their lore and tales all cultures talk about a sacred place where all creation began.

There is a strange muted pictorial beauty in the visuals. The images present such a powerful and creative attitude and aesthetic concerns that honestly amazed me. Each picture in the work, and all together, project the internal attitude of the person behind the camera. 

The abstractions give people room to dream, to find their own interpretation. Every artwork needs to show a part of reality and also a standpoint, and this particular series is a great example of why this is so important.” (LensCulture, 2023)

Exhibitions

Rotterdam Photo part of Rotterdam Artweek themed Imagine • 1-4 Feb 2024

Expo Plein van Siena centre for reflection and spirituality, Amsterdam • Jan 2024

Group exhibition MFA Homecoming 2022/3 Biennial, City Art Space Gallery, Rochester (NY) • Dec 2023

Fine art photo fair By Photographers, Amsterdam • Dec 2023

New Talent Noorderlicht International Photo Festival, Groningen • Nov 2023

Art Collective Gravity of Light @ Atelier Ferron, The Hague  • Oct 2023

Group exhibition Sandvoort Gallery, Amsterdam • Oct 2023

Apeldoorn Fotofestival, Apeldoorn • Sep 2023

Conceptual Talent Fresh Eyes at Haute Photographie, Amsterdam • Sep 2023

Group exhibition ProfiFoto @ Rencontres d’Arles 2023, Arles • Jul 2023

8th Grand Prix of Contemporary Art, Milan • Jun 2023

Group exhibition Emergo, Amsterdam • May 2023

Group exhibition Het Oog, Foto Academie, Amsterdam • Oct 2022

Publications & Interviews

Lensculture Editor’s Pick Art Photography Awards 2024

GUP Fresh Eyes International Conceptual Talent 2023

Longlist Aesthetica Art Prize 2024 • Dec 2023

Artist of the Day BBA Gallery Artist Prizes • Dec 2023

Photo31 Talent in Focus • Dec 2023

Interview Expo HP / De Tijd • Jul 2023

Article ProfiFoto Print Issue 7 • Jul 2023

Interview Chip Foto Magazine Print Issue 74 • Jun 2023

ArtDoc Magazine, Enigma of Life • Jun 2023

Group exhibition Emergo Amsterdam • May 2023