MEET THE ARTIST: MARISKA KERPEL

‘What I make is actually very close to myself. I photograph the things that I personally really enjoy, that is why the sun is the foundation of my work. Spending my time outside is something that gives me great peace of mind and inspires me. Every morning when I wake up I step outside in my socks to see how my plants have grown while I was sleeping. I love to swim endlessly in the summer. Sometimes I drive around on my old moped because I want to feel the wind so badly. Recently I started making ceramics, I can really look forward to dedicating my whole weekend on this. By being outside or working with my hands I forget the time.

I would describe myself as an intuitive photographer. As a photographer I am very observant and I like to be surprised by coincidences, this way I never plan in advance what an image should look like. I like to be guided by the person I photograph. Everyone has their own mobility, way of looking or moving, I enjoy those qualities. Little surprises that the light gives you such as reflections and beautiful lines that come together, that's what I look for.

My mind is naturally very restless, I can lose myself completely in thinking. That buzz in my head can very easily cause me to overflow and block. By working with my hands I don't really give my head a chance to overflow. These last few years I have come to realise that photography is very important to me for that reason, all the things in life that I enjoy come together there. Because my way of working is so intuitive, I stay very close to myself. This took some time for me to get there and I still find it very difficult at times but I know that I do my best work when I dare to surrender completely to the moment.’ - Mariska Kerpel 

www.mariskakerpel.com