It was late autumn in 2013, eleven years ago now, when I visited Viviane Sassen’s exhibition In and Out of Fashion at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. It was a pivotal moment in my life, where everything felt as fragile as glass, poised on the edge of shattering into something new. I was spending my gap year in the city, often seeking refuge in its museums, drawn by the luxury of free admission and the quiet they offered.
I still vividly recall standing in front of a photograph and tracking the varying shades of pink in a field of tulips forming the background of a figure emerging from the blooms, like a tulip herself – marine blue petals giving way to a yellow core – bursting open. There was something in that image – a quiet murmur, a soft whisper – that stirred something deep within me, as if it mirrored a seed beginning to sprout inside. I remember being alone in the exhibition — or maybe I wasn’t; that’s how my memory holds it. But it was then that I realised I wanted to go to art school and that something drastically had to change in my life.
Viviane Sassen’s work tends to mirror our inner reflections. At that moment, I was looking at a fashion image — or perhaps I wasn’t. Its power was transcendent. Walking through her retrospective Phosphor: Art & Fashion (1990–2024) at Foam Amsterdam, eleven years later, I began to fully grasp the depth of her work. Themes of death, longing, sexuality, nature, hope, and fear recur throughout her 30+ year oeuvre.
In conversation with Aya Musa, curator of the exhibition, we discussed Sassen’s formative years in Kenya – her “years of magical thinking” – which shaped her dreamlike worlds where bodies morph, surreal poses unfold, and the familiar becomes estranged. Her photography, contrasting vibrant colours and deep shadows, carries the gaze of her child self in Kenya. At their essence, all her images are self-portraits, exploring shadows (both inner and outer) acting as portals to parallel worlds: ones that no longer exist or ones we dream of discovering.
Eudocimus Ruber, from the series Of Mud and Lotus, 2017 © Viviane Sassen and Stevenson (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Amsterdam).
Hi Aya, so nice to talk to you. I was struck by how the exhibition follows a non-linear layout, starting with her works in Africa, such as Flamboya and Parasomnia, and fluidly moving through different periods of her oeuvre. What was the intention behind this journey, and how do you hope it influences the audience's engagement with her work across the different spaces?
The Phosphor retrospective strategically unfolds through Foam’s spaces, beginning purposefully in the Tuinzalen with Sassen’s African works (2004-2014). This location holds particular significance as it hosted her institutional solo debut, creating a poetic full circle in her career trajectory. The exhibition's entrance point immediately connects visitors to her formative years in Kenya (ages two to five), which she terms her “years of magical thinking,” before leading them through a carefully curated journey of her artistic evolution.
The inclusion of extensive work-in-progress materials in the mezzanine floor provides unprecedented insight into this evolution. These materials, encompassing unpublished archival content, student notebooks, initial self-portraits, and her innovative Folio series, serve as crucial documentation of her artistic development.
The inclusion of extensive work-in-progress materials in the mezzanine floor provides unprecedented insight into this evolution. These materials, encompassing unpublished archival content, student notebooks, initial self-portraits, and her innovative Folio series, serve as crucial documentation of her artistic development.
Do you think there’s a particular work that’s especially meaningful from that time?
Of particular significance are her early experiments during her studies at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (HKU), where her characteristic approach to composition and image-making first emerged. The inclusion of her graduation project, Gravity, a poignant series of eighteen black-and-white photographs influenced by Nobuyoshi Araki’s Winter Journey, provides crucial context for understanding her early engagement with themes of loss and mortality.
This comprehensive presentation illuminates how Sassen's early influences persistently shape her practice, while revealing the continuous evolution of her visual language and thematic concerns. The exhibition's non-linear flow allows visitors to trace these connections across different periods, demonstrating how her foundational experiences inform her entire body of work, from early experiments to mature artistic expressions.
This comprehensive presentation illuminates how Sassen's early influences persistently shape her practice, while revealing the continuous evolution of her visual language and thematic concerns. The exhibition's non-linear flow allows visitors to trace these connections across different periods, demonstrating how her foundational experiences inform her entire body of work, from early experiments to mature artistic expressions.
The inclusion of Sassen’s work-in-progress (dummy books, sketches, studio walls, and photo archives) offers a rare glimpse into her creative process. What drove the decision to include these materials, and how do they enrich the audience's understanding of her artistic process?
In the Mezzanine floors, Sassen’s creative methodology unfolds through a carefully curated selection of working materials, offering invaluable insights into her artistic development. The exhibition's inclusion of student notebooks, early self-portraits, and the groundbreaking Folio series traces her evolution from student to acclaimed photographer, while emphasising the crucial role of continuous study and experimentation in her practice.
Of particular significance are her early form studies, which demonstrate a rigorous exploration of composition, shape, and spatial relationships. These foundational exercises, documented in her sketchbooks, reveal how Sassen developed her distinctive understanding of form — an approach that would later define her photographic work. The notebooks showcase her systematic investigation of the human figure, architectural elements, and abstract compositions, providing evidence of a methodical artistic development process.
These materials also highlight the significance of cross-disciplinary influence in Sassen's practice. Her sketchbooks contain not only photographic studies but also fashion sketches, collages, and written notes, demonstrating how different creative disciplines can inform and strengthen each other.
Of particular significance are her early form studies, which demonstrate a rigorous exploration of composition, shape, and spatial relationships. These foundational exercises, documented in her sketchbooks, reveal how Sassen developed her distinctive understanding of form — an approach that would later define her photographic work. The notebooks showcase her systematic investigation of the human figure, architectural elements, and abstract compositions, providing evidence of a methodical artistic development process.
These materials also highlight the significance of cross-disciplinary influence in Sassen's practice. Her sketchbooks contain not only photographic studies but also fashion sketches, collages, and written notes, demonstrating how different creative disciplines can inform and strengthen each other.
From the series Roxane, 2017 © Viviane Sassen and Stevenson (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Amsterdam).
Indeed, the exhibition feels complete and very new thanks to all of these materials that you mention.
This comprehensive documentation of her working process provides students and emerging artists with practical insights into the development of a sophisticated artistic practice. The exhibition's presentation of these developmental materials alongside finished works creates a rich educational context, allowing viewers to understand both the technical and conceptual evolution of Sassen's practice. This approach not only enriches the audience's understanding of her specific artistic journey but also provides valuable lessons about the importance of sustained study, experimentation, and documentation in artistic development.
Furthermore, the inclusion of these materials emphasises how artistic growth often occurs through a continuous dialogue between different media and approaches. The progression visible in Sassen's sketchbooks and early studies demonstrates how foundational skills in one area (such as form study and composition) can translate into mastery across different artistic disciplines.
Furthermore, the inclusion of these materials emphasises how artistic growth often occurs through a continuous dialogue between different media and approaches. The progression visible in Sassen's sketchbooks and early studies demonstrates how foundational skills in one area (such as form study and composition) can translate into mastery across different artistic disciplines.
It was fascinating to see how Sassen's earliest work, including her art school self-portraits and photographs with friends, already showcased her experimentation with surreal poses and the estrangement of the body. How does this approach persist and evolve throughout her oeuvre, particularly with her development of a mixed-media style that involves re-arranging and distorting her own images through collage and painting? What does this evolution reveal about her ongoing exploration of identity, sexuality, and the human form?
Sassen's artistic trajectory shows a fascinating progression in her treatment of the human form, beginning during her pivotal transition from fashion design to photography at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (HKU). During her early years as a model, she used self-portraiture as an emancipatory tool, actively challenging traditional eroticism and the prevalent male gaze. These early works, now displayed formally for the first time, demonstrate her initial experiments with reclaiming control over her own image and body from the conventional roles imposed by the modeling industry.
This foundation evolved significantly through her Folio series in the 1990s, where she photographed her intimate circle of friends and family. While influenced by photographers like Nan Goldin and Larry Clark, Sassen quickly distinguished herself through elaborate compositions that treated subjects almost as sculptural elements. This approach marked an important departure from conventional documentary photography, transforming everyday moments into intriguing visual narratives that emphasised the extraordinary within the mundane.
This foundation evolved significantly through her Folio series in the 1990s, where she photographed her intimate circle of friends and family. While influenced by photographers like Nan Goldin and Larry Clark, Sassen quickly distinguished herself through elaborate compositions that treated subjects almost as sculptural elements. This approach marked an important departure from conventional documentary photography, transforming everyday moments into intriguing visual narratives that emphasised the extraordinary within the mundane.
In what ways has this early approach evolved throughout the years?
Her more recent work (2017-2022) shows a dramatic evolution of these early experiments, particularly in series such as Of Mud and Lotus, Paint Studies, Cadavre Exquis, and Modern Alchemy. In these works, Sassen manipulates archival photographs with paint, ink, and collage techniques, creating hybrid artworks that blur the boundaries between media. Of Mud and Lotus specifically explores themes of transformation, procreation, and fertility, portraying female bodies interacting with plants and merging with everyday objects through painted photographic surfaces.
The culmination of this evolution appears in Modern Alchemy, her collaboration with philosopher Emanuele Coccia. This series features collages where humans, animals, and plants coalesce into imaginative entities, challenging conventional boundaries and underscoring a profound connection between sexuality and the natural world's vitality. The project, presented through a combination of thought-provoking essays and evocative photographs, explores the creative essence of life as a form of modern alchemy where traditional views are reimagined and revitalised.
Throughout her career, Sassen has maintained this interest in transforming the human form, whether through surreal poses, sculptural compositions, or mixed-media interventions. Her work consistently challenges conventional representations of the body while exploring deeper themes of identity, sexuality, and human connection. The evolution from her early self-portraits to her current mixed-media experiments reveals an artist who is continuously pushing the boundaries of how the human form can be represented and understood, always maintaining a balance between the real and the surreal, the physical and the metaphysical.
The culmination of this evolution appears in Modern Alchemy, her collaboration with philosopher Emanuele Coccia. This series features collages where humans, animals, and plants coalesce into imaginative entities, challenging conventional boundaries and underscoring a profound connection between sexuality and the natural world's vitality. The project, presented through a combination of thought-provoking essays and evocative photographs, explores the creative essence of life as a form of modern alchemy where traditional views are reimagined and revitalised.
Throughout her career, Sassen has maintained this interest in transforming the human form, whether through surreal poses, sculptural compositions, or mixed-media interventions. Her work consistently challenges conventional representations of the body while exploring deeper themes of identity, sexuality, and human connection. The evolution from her early self-portraits to her current mixed-media experiments reveals an artist who is continuously pushing the boundaries of how the human form can be represented and understood, always maintaining a balance between the real and the surreal, the physical and the metaphysical.
HCG, from the series Of Mud and Lotus, 2017 © Viviane Sassen and Stevenson (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Amsterdam).
The juxtaposition of bright light and dark shadows is a hallmark of Sassen's imagery. Can you discuss how her earliest memories in Africa, where her child's gaze encountered extreme contrasts of light and shadow, and saturated colours, have influenced the visual blueprint of her entire oeuvre?
The interplay of light and shadow in Sassen's work originates from her childhood in Kenya, where her father worked as a tropical doctor near a polio clinic. Between the ages of two and five, she experienced strong natural contrasts and significant emotional moments. The harsh sunlight created stark visual contrasts, while her interactions with children at the clinic formed her earliest memories of intense friendships and pure beauty, recognised only through the unfiltered innocence of a toddler.
This period shaped the visual and emotional foundations of her work. Sassen refers to these formative years as her years of magical thinking. The Umbra series, created for the Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam, reflects these experiences through systematic explorations of shadow as both a visual and psychological element. The series includes several chapters:
This period shaped the visual and emotional foundations of her work. Sassen refers to these formative years as her years of magical thinking. The Umbra series, created for the Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam, reflects these experiences through systematic explorations of shadow as both a visual and psychological element. The series includes several chapters:
1. Axiom explores light and colour refraction, inspired by the intense Kenyan sunlight.
2. Larvae examines psychological layers connected to her childhood emotions.
3. Rebus addresses disorientation tied to overwhelming early experiences.
4. Carbon touches on themes of transience and mortality.
5. Soil deals with loss and mourning, particularly after her father's passing.
2. Larvae examines psychological layers connected to her childhood emotions.
3. Rebus addresses disorientation tied to overwhelming early experiences.
4. Carbon touches on themes of transience and mortality.
5. Soil deals with loss and mourning, particularly after her father's passing.
The Totem video installation within Umbra integrates viewers' shadows into the work, creating a participatory element. This mirrors Sassen's early experiences of interconnectedness with her environment and the people around her. Sassen’s commercial and artistic work continues to reflect these foundations. In fashion photography, she uses light to transform bodies and materials, echoing the natural contrasts of her childhood. Projects like Flamboya, Parasomnia, and Pikin Slee revisit Africa and build on the visual and emotional vocabulary shaped during her youth.
The exhibition separates Sassen's fashion images into a distinct room with projections, setting them apart from her artistic work. What was the intention behind this curatorial choice, and how does it shape the audience's understanding of the relationship between her fashion and artistic photography?
The Lichthof's dedicated presentation of Sassen's fashion work reflects both her artistic integrity within commercial constraints and the inherent nature of fashion photography itself. Sassen never created these images with the intention of them being framed — they were specifically designed for the dynamic context of fashion magazines, where images are consumed in rapid succession as pages turn. The exhibition's innovative projection technique honours this original context, with images flowing seamlessly across walls and floor, creating an immersive environment that mirrors the kinetic experience of browsing a fashion magazine.
In this space, bodies and clothing become sculptural elements, transformed through Sassen's distinctive use of colour and unexpected compositions. As visitors move through the space, their own bodies become part of the projection surface, creating an intimately sensual experience that connects them physically with the work. This embodied viewing experience adds a new dimension to Sassen's fashion photography, where the boundary between viewer and image dissolves.
While working with prestigious brands like Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Armani, she consistently transcends conventional fashion photography, creating a unique visual language that bridges commercial and artistic realms. This curatorial choice, emphasising movement and physical engagement, demonstrates how her artistic vision enhances rather than compromises her commercial work. The projection format not only showcases the potential for creative innovation within commercial contexts but also creates a more authentic and dynamic way to experience fashion photography as it was originally intended - in motion, in sequence, and in dialogue with the human form.
In this space, bodies and clothing become sculptural elements, transformed through Sassen's distinctive use of colour and unexpected compositions. As visitors move through the space, their own bodies become part of the projection surface, creating an intimately sensual experience that connects them physically with the work. This embodied viewing experience adds a new dimension to Sassen's fashion photography, where the boundary between viewer and image dissolves.
While working with prestigious brands like Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Armani, she consistently transcends conventional fashion photography, creating a unique visual language that bridges commercial and artistic realms. This curatorial choice, emphasising movement and physical engagement, demonstrates how her artistic vision enhances rather than compromises her commercial work. The projection format not only showcases the potential for creative innovation within commercial contexts but also creates a more authentic and dynamic way to experience fashion photography as it was originally intended - in motion, in sequence, and in dialogue with the human form.
Lastly, the upper space in Foam reveals New Syntheses, representing a pivotal moment in Sassen's artistic journey. While her previous work, from Venus & Mercury's hidden Versailles narratives to Modern Alchemy’s metamorphic beings and Of Mud and Lotus’s reality-bending illusions, embraced surrealism's playful ambiguity, this new body of work charts a distinctly different course.
In response to an era where AI-generated imagery has democratised fantastic visual creation, Sassen has shifted toward capturing ephemeral, authentic moments through an impressionistic lens. This philosophical and artistic pivot manifests in her contemplative video installations, such as her 2024 piece from Japan. Here, the simple reflection of a ribbed wall in a rain puddle transforms into a mesmerising moiré-like surface, while in another work, clouds drift upside-down in gently undulating water.
For Sassen, this turn toward intimate observation reflects her belief that while artificial intelligence can generate extraordinary imagery, it cannot capture "the most individual expression of the most individual emotion in art, the intimate impression of a moment." This fundamental space thus becomes a laboratory for her emerging artistic language - one that privileges authenticity and nuanced perception over fantastical manipulation. Her new approach suggests that in our rapidly evolving technological landscape, the subtle, personal observation of fleeting moments may be art's most powerful domain.
For Sassen, this turn toward intimate observation reflects her belief that while artificial intelligence can generate extraordinary imagery, it cannot capture "the most individual expression of the most individual emotion in art, the intimate impression of a moment." This fundamental space thus becomes a laboratory for her emerging artistic language - one that privileges authenticity and nuanced perception over fantastical manipulation. Her new approach suggests that in our rapidly evolving technological landscape, the subtle, personal observation of fleeting moments may be art's most powerful domain.
Phosphor: Art & Fashion by Vivianne Sassen is on view until January 12, 2025, in Foam Amsterdam.
Blue Alchemy, from the series Modern Alchemy, 2022 © Viviane Sassen and Stevenson (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Amsterdam).
Ka’amed and Monykuoch for Botter, 2022 © Viviane Sassen and Stevenson (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Amsterdam).
Dior, 2019 © Viviane Sassen and Stevenson (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Amsterdam).
DNA, from the series Lexicon, 2007 © Viviane Sassen and Stevenson (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Amsterdam).
Adidas x Pharell, 2017 © Viviane Sassen and Stevenson (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Amsterdam).