Seascape nominee

As a visual artist and photographer, I carry a rich cultural heritage with me. That is why I feel a strong connection to the Dutch tradition of landscape painters. That rich history helped shape me. And at the same time it confronts me with the future. In the beauty that I try to capture in my photographs, there is also uncertainty and something threatening. I see the skies becoming more dramatic, the weather is becoming more extreme with unexpected phenomena, our climate is becoming more violent. It looks like the classic historic Dutch landscapes and skies are being pushed out by landscapes and skies that are the result of climate change. I am very aware of that tension. That is what I capture.

Saskia Boelsums was born in Nieuwer-Amstel in the Netherlands. She grew up in Iran and Curacao. Boelsums studied Graphic and Spatial Design at the Academy Minerva in Groningen, the Netherlands. Since 2013 she focuses on photography and was given a great number of nominations, prizes and exhibitions home and abroad.

"Saskia Boelsums is a Dutch photographer and her Netherlandish heritage clearly shines through her work. All of the photographs of landscapes or still life uncover the connection with the 17th century masters of the genre. The dark tones, baroque-like contrasts and clarity of the detail is stunning, as Boelsums’ photographs balance between the real and surreal." (Review Widewalls)