Artist Statement
I photograph women who cross my path in daily life. The possibility they may be unaware of their own beauty inspires me to work with them. I am not looking for perfect figures.
My subjects remain themselves, they do not need to conform to a shallow and glamorous ideal often portrayed in fashion or commercial photography.
“Who is that nude face in front of me? How do I deal with the responsibility to depict the uniqueness of your alterity?”.
I answer these questions in my project "GIRLS".
Process Statement
I work with natural light, depicting my subjects devoid of make-up. I use little or no post production. My images are as real as the stories behind them. Nothing is forced or manipulated.
Danny Van der Elst (B, 1985) graduated as a Master in Western Literature (K.U. Leuven, 2009). After graduating he decided to become a photographer.
He worked as an intern with different photographers.
In June 2012, his photo series “GIRLS” received an international QEP-award, handed out by the FEP (Federation of European Professional photographers).
One of his portraits was awarded “Prize of the Jury” at the photo festival in Bourbon-Lancy (FR) in 2012. Recently, several images were awarded “Prize of the Jury” in Vichy (F).
Gallery exhibitions include fotofever Brussels (B, 2012), Art Gent (B, 2012), Galeria Sicart (S, 2012), See.Me Gallery (NYC), Fremantle International Portrait prize (Nominated, AU, 2013), Art Miami (USA, 2013).
Currently, he works as a full time artistic photographer and as a press photographer for different agencies.
More at www.dannyvanderelst.be.
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