The Roots of Creative Expression
Nanda Hagenaars’ journey into the world of art began early, under the nurturing guidance of her grandmother, a talented painter. Growing up, Nanda spent countless hours in the garden, painting alongside her grandmother. These moments were marked by the soothing smells of paint and the gentle flow of classical music. As they observed their surroundings, they would transform them onto canvas, and her grandmother would help her with compositions, setting a creative foundation that would resonate throughout her life. Though her parents didn’t share the same artistic tendencies, these moments with her grandmother sparked Nanda’s own passion for creating.
Her fascination with visual expression deepened during her travels at the age of 18 when she first picked up a camera. It was through photography that she found a new way to translate the world around her. However, it wasn’t until 2017 that she became fully immersed in the medium, feeling an intense connection to the camera and the stories it could tell. The camera became more than just a tool; it was an obsession, and a pathway through which she could interpret her emotions and life experiences.
For Nanda, creating art is a process of bringing her inner world into the physical realm. It is a form of expression that helps her process life’s intricacies and translate them into something tangible. This emotional connection between her inner world and her work allows viewers to resonate with her creations. When someone sees a part of themselves in her work, she feels that her art has fulfilled its purpose.
Nanda Hagenaars: Black and White Worlds of Emotion
Nanda’s artistic style is deeply defined by her love for black and white imagery. Her works capture raw, honest emotions through a blend of stark contrasts, lines, and flowing compositions. Her artistic vision is not simply about what is seen on the surface, but about peeling back layers to explore deeper emotional truths. Surrealism also plays a significant role in her work, influenced by her fascination with bending reality and perception, much like the surrealists she admires.
One of her primary subjects is the human body, which she views as a canvas of its own. The body, for Nanda, is a powerful vessel for storytelling, allowing her to explore both its physical form and the emotions that lie beneath the surface. Her personal emotions often find their way into these compositions, making her work an intimate dialogue between herself and the viewer.
Nanda also explores themes of time and perspective. She’s particularly captivated by the concept of time slipping away—a theme inspired by her admiration for Salvador Dali’s famous painting, The Persistence of Memory. To her, the painting symbolizes the transient nature of life and the futility of trying to control time. This realization continues to fuel her exploration of life’s impermanence, a subject that deeply intrigues her and often informs the underlying themes in her work.
The Balance of Chaos and Clarity
In the early stages of her photography career, Nanda’s workspace reflected a sense of creative chaos. Books, prints, and various sources of inspiration cluttered her apartment, while classical music and red wine fueled her creative process. Her passion for art blurred the boundaries between weekends and weekdays, and she immersed herself completely in her work, day and night.
However, as her career progressed, Nanda recognized the importance of balance. Today, she approaches her work with a more structured and disciplined mindset. She begins each day with meditation, which helps her achieve mental clarity and focus. This shift in her daily routine has not only enhanced her productivity but also allowed her to prioritize her health and well-being. Nanda’s newfound sense of balance enables her to create art with a clearer mind, ensuring that she can continue to make art for years to come.
By fostering a more structured approach to her creative practice, Nanda now enjoys the best of both worlds—maintaining her deep connection to art while ensuring longevity and mental clarity. This new way of working has helped her to sustain her creative passion while nurturing her health, giving her the stability she needs to continue evolving as an artist.
Nanda Hagenaars: A Skyward Vision
Among her many sources of inspiration, Nanda looks up to iconic artists such as Salvador Dali and Joan Miró, whose works of surrealism have greatly influenced her creative process. In the realm of photography, she admires the work of Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, and Josef Koudelka, all of whom have shaped her understanding of composition, emotion, and technique. However, she continues to cultivate her own unique vision, constantly striving to push the boundaries of what is possible in her medium.
One of Nanda’s most ambitious dreams is to create a poetic series of photographs from the sky, a project that she has been envisioning for some time. The concept behind this series is to capture life from a new perspective, one that challenges the viewer to reconsider how their upbringing and worldview shape their perception of reality. For this project to come to life, Nanda requires the assistance of a plane and pilot—an ambitious yet thrilling endeavor that reflects her constant drive to push the boundaries of her artistic vision.
As she continues to explore new ways of interpreting the world around her, Nanda remains open to evolving her practice. While photography is her primary medium, she acknowledges the possibility of returning to painting or even venturing into writing in the future. Her journey as an artist is far from over, and she continues to seek new ways to share her perspective and connect with others through her unique and emotive visual language.
