Isabelle van Zeijl

This piece explores transformation, fragility, and freedom. A solitary figure is enveloped by vivid blue and delicate white butterflies, blurring the boundary between the body and the natural world. The butterflies seem to emerge from and move around her, creating a dreamlike sense of becoming, renewal, and release.

This piece unfolds as a luminous field of movement, where soft whites gradually give way to vivid pinks and reds. Layered, organic forms seem to bloom, dissolve, and flow into one another, creating a sense of constant transformation. The work balances delicacy with intensity, inviting the viewer to experience light, color, and movement as something almost physical.

This ceramic piece celebrates delicacy, repetition, and the quiet beauty of nature. Dozens of individually formed white blossoms gather within a circular frame, creating a sense of abundance and gentle movement. The subtle variations between each flower highlight the handmade quality of the work, while the restrained palette gives the piece a timeless, serene presence.

Blue is linked with eternity, the beyond, the supernatural beauty and often associated with transcendence. Blue has no dimensions, it goes beyond the sky and the ocean. It is limitless. The Deep Blue Collection encourages the viewer to go within, dive into the vibrant ocean of pure bliss and discover their true essence. In the ancient world, ultramarine was the most desired color because of the inaccessibility of the pigment used to make it. Made from lapis lazuli, an expensive stone of rich color ultramarine was only affordable for the wealthiest, highest-status patrons, and as a result came to symbolize royalty. The very rare blue Vanda orchid is among the most exclusive orchids in the world. Given its origin high in the trees of the Himalayan jungle, the Vanda orchid had to be seductive to be seen.

My flower pieces refer to one of the most ancient symbols in history, the circle. In a general sense, they stand for oneness, wholeness, unity, perfection, infinity, life without beginning or end. They reference four billion years of the moon swelling and receding, pulling and releasing the ocean tides. Ageless circles are a powerful portal to all things mysterious

Ancient and primal, the Ocean, our mother of mothers. The origin of all life on Earth, the greatest symbol of fertility and birth. We evolved and emerged from there, ready to conquer land. No other natural feature has sparked as much fascination and fear as the Ocean. Being an adventurer at heart, I fulfilled this yearning to explore the haunting beauty of the sea. I dived into the great unknown, to create a photographic series. I traveled to the beautiful islands of The Bahamas, collected discarded fish nets and plastics which I found on the islands. I used this trash and transformed it into treasure in my portraits inviting the viewer to raise their awareness about ocean pollution. Since 46% of the great pacific garbage patch are floating fish nets.

Inspired by the relationship between humanity and nature acknowledging the feminine life-cycle, van Zeijl allows her practice to evolve as nature takes its course and offers an alternative concept of beauty; symbolizing the reinvention of the self. The Collection is a tribute to the natural change of life translating natural beauty inherent in death and decay. One morning, 14 million years ago, just after sunrise the first flower opens to receive the rays of the sun. Much later, those delicate and fragrant beings would come to play an essential part in evolution of consciousness of another species. Humans would increasingly be drawn to and fascinated by them. Flowers were the first being humans came to value, which had no link to some way of survival. They provided inspiration. Seeing beauty in a flower could awaken humans to the beauty that is an essential part of their own innermost being, their true nature.

This series is featured in Forbes: "Isabelle van Zeijl has turned her eye on 400 milion flowers destroyed during COVID-19. Using flowers salvaged from local growers, Van Zeijl has created a series of photographs that represent transformation, rebirth and growth. These series created with discarded flowers is a tribute to the natural change of life. It is an inspiring message that teaches us that growth and transformation need not be traumatic or painful, but rather liberating and joyful, a natural part of life’s continuous unfolding. We’ve all heard the saying “the only constant is change,” and embracing change, whether that change is external or part of our own interior landscape, is one of the keys to our positive personal evolution. This can be a time of reflecting and understanding, a start of a new cycle, a new beginning."

perspex face mounted C-print on dibond in tray frame

perspex face mounted C-print on dibond in tray frame

perspex face mounted C-print on dibond in frame

perspex face mounted C-print on dibond in tray frame

perspex face mounted C-print on dibond in tray frame

perspex face mounted C-print on dibond in tray frame

perspex face mounted C-print on dibond in tray frame

perspex face mounted C-print on dibond in tray frame

Ancient and primal, the Ocean, our mother of mothers. The origin of all life on Earth, the greatest symbol of fertility and birth. We evolved and emerged from there, ready to conquer land. No other natural feature has sparked as much fascination and fear as the Ocean. Being an adventurer at heart, I fulfilled this yearning to explore the haunting beauty of the sea. I dived into the great unknown, to create a photographic series. I traveled to the beautiful islands of The Bahamas, collected discarded fish nets and plastics which I found on the islands. I used this trash and transformed it into treasure in my portraits inviting the viewer to raise their awareness about ocean pollution. Since 46% of the great pacific garbage patch are floating fish nets.

HYDRA

Blue is linked with eternity, the beyond, the supernatural beauty and often associated with transcendence. Blue has no dimensions, it goes beyond the sky and the ocean. It is limitless. The Deep Blue Collection encourages the viewer to go within, dive into the vibrant ocean of pure bliss and discover their true essence. In the ancient world, ultramarine was the most desired color because of the inaccessibility of the pigment used to make it. Made from lapis lazuli, an expensive stone of rich color ultramarine was only affordable for the wealthiest, highest-status patrons, and as a result came to symbolize royalty. The very rare blue Vanda orchid is among the most exclusive orchids in the world. Given its origin high in the trees of the Himalayan jungle, the Vanda orchid had to be seductive to be seen.