sophie van dijken
In my work, I look at how we’ve increasingly moved away from nature and what that means for who we are today. Rather than focusing on the grand or dramatic, I’m drawn to the smaller, often overlooked elements in the natural world - the textures, fragments, and traces that hold stories about our shifting connection, or lack of it. I’m often working with plants, roots and animals—directly in the darkroom or out in nature, allowing these elements to shape the outcome.
Using analog techniques like photograms, I bypass the camera entirely, letting nature leave its own imprint. This hands-on approach feels intuitive and unexpected, where each result is directly influenced by the natural materials I work with. In doing so, I’m reconnecting with something fundamental—a sense of belonging that seems to have faded in the rush of modern life.
