bastiaan woudt
In a world where storytelling is increasingly at the core of art, I sometimes wonder: does every work of art really need a narrative? Must we always seek out or even create a story to justify the value of a work?
Read MoreTo accompany my solo exhibition at Jaeger Art Berlin, a catalogue has been published in a limited edition of 500 copies. This publication offers a closer look at the works featured in the exhibition and reflects on my approach to photography.
Matthias Harder, Director of the Helmut Newton Foundation, has written the introduction, providing his perspective on my work and how it fits into the broader context of contemporary photography. His text offers a thoughtful interpretation of the influences and techniques behind my minimalistic style.
Maximum Minimalism
Ten years ago, Bastiaan Woudt’s slightly blurred portrait of a young man named Carlos marked a pivotal moment in the Dutch photographer’s career, propelling him to international acclaim. His distinctive portraits now grace major private and public collections, with representation by galleries around the world.
Woudt’s artistic journey has taken him to the mountains of Nepal, where he captured desolate, snow-covered vistas and the inhabitants against neutral backgrounds. Like much of his work, these earlier images evoke a profound sense of timelessness. This quality is also evident in his 2017 project Mukono, created during a visit to Uganda. In this series, we encounter a compelling juxtaposition of landscapes, still lifes, and intimate portraits of the local people in a balanced interplay of close-ups, profiles, and back views. Through these images, Woudt pioneers a new approach to photographic representation, offering a humanistic perspective that transcends the problematic ethnological portraits from similar locations over a century ago. Regardless of the subject matter, his style blends documentary and artistic elements, creating images that are poetic and enigmatic. His photographs bring us closer to the people and their inner lives while conveying the reality of their existence with remarkable visual impact.
Woudt works across distant locations but also at his studio in Alkmaar, Netherlands, exploring diverse projects and artistic approaches in parallel. Staged with maximum minimalism in the empty studio, his fashion-oriented portraits captivate and challenge the viewer, evoking an emotional intensity rarely achieved in photography. Central to Woudt’s aesthetic is his exclusive use of high-contrast black and white, employing a distinctive chiaroscuro technique. Human figures are often accentuated by bold geometric forms, such as oversized circular hats or sculpturally draped skirts. Although faces are often obscured, the heads are frequently crowned by eccentric hats or headpieces. While some are crafted by a Dutch designer, most are invented by Woudt’s team – including simple constructions like stacked bowls – serving as intriguing extensions of the body.
Woudt’s stylistic approach surpasses even Helmut Newton in its use of exaggeration, featuring extreme bodily contortions, strategic blurring, and facial concealment with long hair or fabric, which then becomes the main focus of the picture. His repertoire also includes nuanced, near-monochromatic staging with light or dark tone-on-tone compositions as well as close-up studies of body details that challenge conventional representational norms. When female subjects engage with the camera directly, their gaze is strikingly intense. In other instances, a woman sits or reclines naked on the hard studio floor, her back exposed, offering a modern, refined reinterpretation of the art-historical topos of the odalisque. Throughout his portfolio, physicality is intrinsically linked to sensuality, ranging from delicate to intense, without ever veering into the suggestive or vulgar. Nudity is presented as natural and uncontrived. Men also feature in his visual universe, depicted with the same sensuality and grace as his female subjects.
Woudt cites renowned photographers Irving Penn and Richard Avedon as key sources of inspiration; parallels to Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts are also discernable in his work. Yet, Woudt’s oeuvre remains distinctly original – a visualization of timeless beauty and design. His fascinating images simultaneously embody and transcend the contemporary zeitgeist, achieving an enduring quality. The human form and fashion are central to his artistic inquiry, evident in both personal projects and commercial work, including editorial assignments for magazines and commissions for brands such as Chanel.
The debut of two AI-generated works is a noteworthy highlight of this exhibition. These unique pieces were printed using an analogue technique on Japanese washi paper and represent a bold departure from Woudt’s previous creative practice. His process involves creating digitally enhanced photographs based on initial sketches and then modifying them using algorithmic prompts, ultimately selecting two outcomes from this innovative and complex image production methodology. This experimental approach is unparalleled, positioning him at the forefront of innovation in contemporary artistic photography.
Matthias Harder
Looking back with great pleasure on my solo exhibition at JAEGER ART Berlin late last year. A big thank you to the entire JAEGER ART team and everyone who came by to experience the show. This marks the start of what I hope will be a lasting relationship with the vibrant art scene in Berlin. I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to present my Echo from Beyond project for the first time—selling 3 out of 4 works from the series during the opening was truly incredible. Here’s to more inspiring collaborations in the future!
JAEGER ART, founded by Benjamin and Steffi Jaeger, is an independent art advisor and photography specialist based in Berlin. With years of experience in the international art market, they support emerging and established artists while curating exhibitions and building connections across the art world. Their space on Brunnenstrasse 161 is a hub for photography lovers and creative minds.
Explore the virtual gallery ‘Masterpieces’ of the world's leading super yacht builder, Feadship. The gallery showcases exclusive pieces I've created for the industry leader, alongside some of my most renowned works. Check it out via the link below
I am incredibly honored to present a new work at Museum Kranenburgh for the exhibition “In de rug van de zee”. The work “BAZ” was specially made for this exhibition and shows a landscape of dunes in Bergen, where I grew up. This work exists in an edition of 10+2AP. As an artist from Bergen, I feel a deep connection to the landscape that has inspired so many artists before me. This exhibition brings together nearly forty artists who, since the arrival of the first pioneers in the twentieth century, have captured the magical beauty of the polders, forests, dunes, and sea.
Thanks to Eliane Odding, Adriana Gonzalez Hulshof, and the entire team at Museum Kranenburgh for this wonderful opportunity. “In de rug van de zee” is not only a journey through the landscape but also through various artistic interpretations of it. Art historian and guest curator Eliane Odding has made a beautiful selection of both key works and unexpected gems from various collections. I am proud to see my work among these inspiring pieces, including some new, never-before-seen works.
Come and experience the timeless magic of the Bergen landscape through the eyes of many talented artists. On show until the 25th of may 2025.
© Michel Claus
Many artists, from around 1900 to the present, are attracted and inspired by the landscape of the polder, dunes, forest and beach surrounding Bergen. The museum was founded in 1993 in Villa Kranenburgh and expanded in 2013 with a new wing. Museum Kranenburgh is known for its collection of key works from the Bergen School and its iconic sculpture garden with works by modern and contemporary artists. In our exhibition program, we highlight our own collection, but also dedicate presentations to works by contemporary artists.
The driving force behind the museum is its team of staff members and over 120 motivated volunteers.
Discover my artwork showcased in the stunning interiors by Casa Muñoz, featured in Architectural Digest Magazine.
This year my work was shown at Photo London together with Atlas Gallery. Thank you al for the kind response!
I am proud to announce a special collaboration that is very close to my heart: capturing Chanel's Haute Horlogerie collection. This series, created in Chanel's Paris ateliers, marks a unique fusion of our shared values of craftsmanship and aesthetics.
The images, which add a new dimension to the timeless elegance for which Chanel is renowned, will appear not only in the official catalogue but also in Chanel boutiques worldwide. It is an honour to share my work on such a scale and a testament to the beauty that comes when two worlds meet.
This project was an opportunity to explore the dialogue between light and shadow, form and time, always with a deep respect for Chanel's legacy. It is a celebration of the art of watchmaking as seen through my lens.
I proudly introduce 'Echo from Beyond'.
Echo from Beyond is an ongoing project that serves as my creative sketchbook, where I push the boundaries of photography and art by merging my photographic archive with the capabilities of AI, making it mixed media.
This project holds a special place alongside my ongoing photographic work and explores previously unimaginable imagery, fuelled by my thoughts, psychedelic experiences and the media I consume. This fusion of elements creates a unique visual language that transcends traditional photography and offers a window into a world full of new possibilities and discoveries.
In this sketchbook, I'm not only pushing aesthetic boundaries, but also asking deeper questions about the role of technology in art and how we perceive the world. It's a reflection on the past and a vision of the future, where each image is a glimpse of infinite possibilities.
As an artist, I stand at the crossroads of time, looking towards a future where AI becomes an integral part of art. "Echo from Beyond" is about exploring new technological frontiers, merging the future potential of AI with the timeless art of photography. This project is a conversation between my photographic past and future and the new realities that AI can create. It's a fusion that respects the beauty of traditional photography while embracing the vast potential of the future.
I am thrilled to announce my first solo exhibition in New York, titled 'BASTIAAN WOUDT: ESSENCE', presented by the prestigious auction house Phillips.
This exhibition not only marks my debut in one of the art world's capitals but also the first time Phillips has dedicated an exhibition to the work of a single photographer in their new state-of-the-art headquarters in New York.
Thirteen of my works will be exhibited at 432 Park Avenue starting March 4th. These are the last available prints from an edition of 10 plus two artist's proofs. The exhibition includes some of my most sought-after images, presented in the popular size of 90x120 cm. This is a unique opportunity to own a piece of history, as eight of these works are already sold out in other formats and editions.
'BASTIAAN WOUDT: ESSENCE’ is spearheaded by Phillipsx, the dynamic selling exhibition platform operated by the global Private Sales team at Phillips. The destination for international collectors to buy and sell the world’s most important Modern and Contemporary art, design and luxury items.
This collaboration with Phillips continues our long-standing relationship, and I am immensely grateful for the chance to share my vision and aesthetics with a wider audience. It's always a bit painful to say goodbye to the last works in an edition, but it comforts me to know that these images will be a source of joy for the collectors who acquire them.
I also want to take this opportunity to reflect on the significant role these works have played in my career so far. It is an honor to see how my pursuit of 'monochromatic minimalism' is recognized and appreciated, not only by the international art community but also by leading institutions like the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, where one of my works, 'Cycle II' from 2020, is now part of the permanent collection.
I look forward to this exhibition and the chance to share my work with you, and I hope you are as excited as I am to experience these special works. It's a special moment in my career, and I am glad to be able to share it with you.
“I am always looking for a poetry of tones and contrasts that invites the viewer to see only the essence of my subjects.”
—Bastiaan Woudt
Phillips says:
In Papillon, the timeless, monumental work offered here, Bastiaan Woudt (b.1987) continues his exploration of abstraction and form in pursuit of what he calls ‘monochromatic minimalism’. The artist has captured model Tinotenda Mushore’s silhouette, wearing a striking hat by Dutch milliner Marianne Jongkind, against a plain background. ‘The picture immediately reminded me of a butterfly, hence the chosen title,’ he notes. As a self-taught photographer, Woudt has developed his distinctive monochromatic style through experimentations in both in-camera and post-production techniques. Drawing inspiration from classic black-and-white photographs by 20th-century masters Irving Penn and Richard Avedon, he aims to capture the quality of analogue photography through digital means. The Dutch artist has published ten photobooks to date and has exhibited his work in cities worldwide, including Amsterdam, Paris, New York and Shanghai, since 2014. In 2022, his first solo museum exhibition Twist was held at Bergen’s Museum Kranenburgh.
Papillon, 2021
Archival pigment print, mounted.
Image: 180 x 135 cm (70 7/8 x 53 1/8 in.)
Frame: 217 x 158 cm (85 3/8 x 62 1/4 in.)
Signed, titled, dated, numbered AP1 in ink on an artist label and signed Certificate of Authenticity, both accompanying the work.
This work is AP1 from the sold-out edition of 3 + 1 AP. This image is sold out in all sizes and editions.
Auction 21 November 2022 2pm GMT
30 Berkeley Square, London, United Kingdom, W1J 6EX (map)
Viewing 15 November - 21 November
Monday-Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm-6:00pm
I am delighted to announce that my work will again be featured at Paris Photo, the largest international art fair dedicated to photography, held annually at the historic Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris. I am grateful to be represented by Fahey Klein this year. I will be present from November 8th to 12th, and I invite you to explore my work amidst this inspiring artistic atmosphere.
My artwork will be exhibited at Pan Amsterdam, in collaboration with Bildhalle, from November 16th to 26th. Looking forward to connecting and sharing my art with you.
"In the special exhibition 'Icons,' my work was displayed alongside that of the influential early fashion photographer George Hoyningen-Huene. It fills me with immense pride that my work was exhibited next to such an esteemed name. The exhibition, organized by Gallery Jackson Fine Art, skillfully showcased the artistry of Hoyningen-Huene. He was a collaborator with luminaries like Man Ray and captured the essence of Elsa Schiaparelli's fashion. My contemporary interpretation of the same tradition was juxtaposed against it."
Discover the V-Stand XL, the most stylish bookstand on the market and a testament to quality, minimalist design and enduring functionality. Designed as an evolution of our original V-Stand, this larger version of our bestselling book stand supports larger books and portfolio boxes.
At 1605 Collective, customer satisfaction drives our innovation. With the same attention to detail and timeless aesthetic that defines our brand, this bookstand is designed to hold your larger treasures while retaining the elegance of its predecessor.
Finished in matte black, it is sure to suit the taste of any book collector.
I'm thrilled to invite you to my very first (international) online masterclass, hosted by De Donkere Kamer. For 1.5 hours, I will be taking you on a journey through my processes, stories, and experiences that shaped my career so far. You'll have the chance to throw any questions you have my way at the end – let's make it interactive!
Whether you're a photography pro, an enthusiastic amateur, or a dedicated collector, there's something here for everyone. We'll be exploring a range of exciting topics that'll surely fuel your passion for photography.
You can join me from the comfort of your couch. How convenient is that? Grab your spot by getting your ticket at the button below
You will also get access to the replay. But being there in the moment brings a whole different vibe, obviously!
Date: 14-09-2023
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Note: Live session is english spoken the replay will feature subtitles in dutch
My new Episode 4 “Exhibition” of my workflow is now live for you to watch.
See via the link above or go to my youtube channel: Youtube/bastiaanwoudt
vogue portugal cover story by bastiaan woudt
Read MoreI'm delighted to announce that my work will be exhibited by Atlas Gallery at Photo London, one of the most prestigious photography fairs in the world. The exhibition will take place from May 11th till May 14th at Somerset House in London. This is a fantastic opportunity to experience my work and immerse yourself in the world of photography. I hope to see you there!
"Rhythm the Collection" - the highly anticipated XL book release from 1605 Collective. Following the success of my acclaimed book “Rhythm", this new edition features 18 carefully selected and well-known works from my oeuvre.
Unlike traditional art books, "Rhythm the Collection" takes the viewing experience to a new level. Each page is mounted on a thick, high-quality board, giving the feeling of leafing through real works of art. The book's finish is of the highest quality, with every detail meticulously handcrafted, from the linen cover to the binding. The production, research and development of the book took almost two years as my team and I worked tirelessly to bring our vision to life.
As an added bonus, the XL book comes with 1605 Collective's best-selling T-stand, providing the perfect display for this stunning piece of art. And when not on display, “Rhythm the Collection” can be stored beautifully and safely in the handmade linen box that comes with the book.
But act fast - there are only 30 copies of “Rhythm the Collection” available worldwide. This collectible and special edition is sure to become a prized possession for art collectors and photography enthusiasts alike. Don't miss your chance to own a true masterpiece. Order now and experience the breathtaking beauty of my work in a whole new way.
