PHOTOGRAPHY THE NETHERLANDS Isabelle van Zeijl is an established mid-career, internationally acclaimed artist. Recognized for her mastery in creating striking self-portraits that elevate the human spirit. Her works possess lasting depth and meaning, enriching life and leaving a profound, impressionable impact on viewers while pushing the boundaries of traditional concepts of the self, beauty, and femininity. At the heart of van Zeijl’s art is the reinvention of the self—a process she undertakes with each image. Drawing from both modern and historical aesthetics, she subverts conventional ideals of beauty, using her own image as a canvas to engage in a timeless conversation between the past and the present. Her photographs resonate with a deep, introspective quality, evoking the fluid nature of identity as it evolves through personal experience and cultural shifts. Her images are both intimate and universal, offering glimpses of the self that are vulnerable yet strong, masked yet authentic. Van Zeijl’s work is an artistic exploration of the self in all its complexity, reflecting the ways in which we construct, deconstruct, and reconstruct our own identities. She dips into the post-modern to craft a vision of feminine power that questions both historical and 21st-century concepts of beauty. By embodying both object and creator, she not only creates the images but inhabits them. Van Zeijl blurs the boundaries between observer and observed, subverting conventional expectations and offering a fresh lens through which to view femininity and the self. Her work possesses a timeless beauty, transcending the boundaries of epoch and media. In a contemporary art world that condemns beauty as camouflage for conceptual shallowness, championing high aesthetics is nothing short of rebellion. For van Zeijl, beauty is not only just an aesthetic choice but a healing force. A powerful medium for elevating the human spirit. Beauty profoundly influences both mental and physical well-being. This belief is rooted in her own experience, having found solace and strength in beauty during a turbulent childhood being exposed to violence and abuse. Van Zeijl has faced numerous forms of misogyny—ranging from sex discrimination to belittling, violence, and objectification. Van Zeijl asked herself, “What human being do I need to forge myself into, how can I transform my burden into a source of light and create change?” Van Zeijl found that beauty became her medicine and purifier, serving as the foundation for her own healing and creative expression. Much like the Renaissance masters who sought harmony and transcendence through their work, van Zeijl embraces beauty to overcome personal hardship. Her art not only reflects her own journey but also radiates a sense of healing and renewal, inviting viewers to experience the transformative power of beauty.