BIOGRAPHY
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.
These ideas are also represented in The Rebirth of The Dutch Flower Collection. This series of photographs using discarded flowers from her local growers, highlighting the unfortunate mass destruction during the global lockdown. The enigmatic photographs are also a celebration of hope as they give the flowers new life by suggesting renewal, rebirth and reinvention. As Van Zeijl explains, “flowers grow out of dark moments, the more difficulties, the more beautiful they become, they always tend to grow towards the light.
Van Zeijl invests deeply in her images, using subjects that elevate the human spirit. In her Moonshot Collection, she draws on the profound symbolism of horses. After years of working with horses, she learned to connect with them intuitively, embodying their wisdom and understanding. Horses guided her toward greater connection and freedom, requiring her to surrender fully in order to earn their trust. This experience of deep connection and surrender is echoed in her art, where she continually reinvents herself, creating a body of work that transcends individual expression and taps into universal themes of growth and transformation.
Her work soothes the eye and touches the soul, collectors often describe her work as a source of peace, strength, and healing. Encourages the viewer to reconnect with their own higher calling, their soulful longing. To remind them to deepen their courage and humility, empower self inquiry and ask themselves to reach into their soul for greatness and find that beauty is always there to reconnect them with their voice
Van Zeijl’s work has been exhibited internationally for over twenty years in prestigious galleries across the USA, UK, and Europe. She has participated in established art fairs in New York, Miami, Palm Beach, London, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Singapore, Hong Kong, and beyond. She is winner of the Young Masters Emerging Women Art Prize in London, her work is included in prominent public and private collections worldwide, including The Four Seasons Hotel in Paris and The White Elephant Hotel on Nantucket.
Acquiring her work means investing in art that transcends mere aesthetics—it is an invitation to engage with art that uplifts, heals, and touches the soul. Her self-portraits, much like the works of classical masters, will leave an indelible mark on the history of art and the lives of those who live with them.
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Isabelle van Zeijl
Featured in selected press-
HARPER'S BAZAAR COVER
July 1, 2019MODES OF EXPRESSION The Dutch fine-art photographer Isabelle van Zeijl subverts oppressive ideals of female beauty with her striking self-portraits, in which she depicts herself in the context of paintings... -
Forbes
May 7, 2020The Rebirth Of The Dutch Flower, A New Series That Highlights The Plight Of The Flower Industry Preparing for one of the works in The Rebirth of the Dutch Flower,... -
Harper's Bazaar Talking Points
July 1, 2019LAYERS OF MEANING Isabelle van Zeijl's flamboyant photography goes on show at Mayfair Arty Weekend. Plus Francesca Segal's ode to the fearless women who sustain her, and the otherwordly genius... -
THE ART NEWSPAPER
April 30, 2020ART FOR A GOOD CAUSE The art market lies dormant, conspicuous consumption at a standstill. But artists-many of whom are experiencing steep drops in income-continue to make art in support... -
Snoecks '21
August 25, 2020ARTWORK - SHE IS HERE - ON THE COVER OF SNOECKS 2021 'A special Snoecks for special times, you should not expect less from Snoecks 2021. We opted for hope... -
The Telegraph, Picture of the day
June 25, 2019CAPTURE OF ARTIST ISABELLE VAN ZEIJL BY EDDIE MULHOLLAND FOR THE TELEGRAPH Photography Exhibition by Isabelle van Zeijl, presented by The Cynthia Corbett Gallery. Artist wearing the couture costume worn... -
London Live Television Interview
June 25, 2019Debut solo show for Isabelle van Zeijl In her debut solo show Isabelle van Zeijl presents her collection of self-portraits. As both the photographer and model, she draws inspiration from... -
Mutual Art
June 20, 2019IN A SEARINGLY HONEST AND EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AHEAD OF HER FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION IN THE UK, ISABELLE VAN ZEIJL TELLS MUTUAL ART ABOUT HER JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION, AND HOW USING... -
Wall Street International Magazine
June 12, 2019In a contemporary art world that condemns beauty as camouflage for conceptual shallowness, championing high aesthetics is nothing short of rebellion. Van Zeijl takes female beauty ideals from the past,... -
Arts & Collections
June 21, 2019Isabelle van Zeijl's London Exhibition Merges Old Masters With Consumer Culture Dutch artist and photographer, Isabelle van Zeijl, who creates striking photographic self-portraits merging references from the Old Masters with... -
Sotheby's International Realty Magazine
Isabelle van Zeijl is captivating the artworld January 7, 2024Isabelle van Zeijl is captivating the art world with her self-portraits. Her work is infused with a depth and symbolism that impresses connoisseurs, while the themes she explores resonate deeply...
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FOUR SEASONS GEORGE V, PARIS
INCLUDES ART ISABELLE VAN ZEIJLAn art-deco landmark built in 1928, Four Seasons Hotel George V is nestled in the Golden Triangle of Paris, just off the historic Champs-Elysees. Oversized suites with Eiffel Tower views welcome you after a day of wandering the quaint Parisian streets. Find the Artworks of Isabelle van Zeijl in their beautiful new designed SPA.
ROCCO FORTE BROWNS HOTEL, LONDON MAYFAIR
A special curated exhibition showing the artworks of Isabelle van Zeijl at the Brown's Hotel In the heart of London’s elegant Mayfair. It is not only London’s first hotel, but also one of the most illustrious in the British capital. Brown’s Hotel is an iconic luxury hotel where history and 21st century sophistication come together. The retreat of choice for royalty, presidents and literary greats over the centuries.
THE WHITE ELEPHANT HOTEL NANTUCKET
An important part of Nantucket Harbor's history, the iconic White Elephant Nantucket has been an island landmark since the 1920s. In 2022 Elkus Manfredi Architects oversees the hotel renovation. The New York-based art consultant and curator Emily Santangelo worked closely with White Elephant’s owners, the Karp family, to create a residency made up of acclaimed artists from around the world. The work Far Away Land was included in the collection and graces the wall of the new designed lobby of the hotel.
HOME HOUSE LONDON
London’s most magnificent private members’ club, fusing 18th century splendour with 21st century style showcasing the artworks of Isabelle van Zeijl in their beautiful restaurant.
