Berry van Galen

Berry van Galen graduated from the Fotoacademie Amsterdam in June 2021. As a theater maker, television director, and photographer, Berry van Galen is an authentic storyteller. She sees the world through an aesthetic lens. It is not surprising that she chooses to combine her narrative side with fashion. However, when her mother was suddenly admitted to a nursing home with dementia, she couldn't help but make a project about it. The fact that she was born as half of an identical twin also greatly influences her work. This work offers touching insights into life. It often revolves around people's emotional connection with the world around them and how this can change over time. The quest for our place in the world is captured in layered images that play with holding on and letting go. The form varies from narrative portraits to personal collages of collected and edited images. In addition, she has also developed a passion for creating portraits that often have an added layer literally. She creates close-up portraits of beautiful women. Berry van Galen primarily edits her black-and-white photos by adding acrylic paint, cutouts, and scratches, among other techniques. Context and time blur, sharp edges disappear, creating a sense of melancholy. The subject of the photo is no longer the person in the image (who is only partially or seen through a haze), but rather the emotions it evokes. The result is a series of layered portraits measuring 100 x 100 cm with a mystical touch. And while the creator gradually makes their muse disappear bit by bit, the essence of their beauty remains for the viewer.