Danielle Kwaaitaal
Atelier NDSM-plein 43, Kunststad, NDSM LOODS
"I'm not that interested in reality; I want to represent reality in a way that would probably not exist without my involvement."
Danielle Kwaaitaal is an Amsterdam-based photographer and visual artist whose work explores the transformative possibilities of the photographic image.
Water runs through her practice as both subject and medium. "What I like about working with water is that chance always plays a role," Kwaaitaal says. Her early work often placed people underwater; more recently, flowers have become the recurring motif. In a self-built underwater studio, she stages carefully composed still lifes — flowers, vases, and other vessels suspended in water. In Florilegium, her widely recognized series, submerged blossoms recall the tradition of 17th-century botanical illustration while departing from its documentary intent. Subsequent series — Ultraviolet, Fluorescent, Sole, and Mirage — continue this exploration of light, reflection, and perception through underwater still lifes rendered with surreal clarity.
Her most recent body of work, Silverlining, marks a departure from water toward terrestrial landscapes. Kwaaitaal returns to places that hold deep personal significance, tracing the dialogue between memory and direct observation.
Image: Fluorescent Series - Halo 2025, 110x82cm edition 1+1AP
Danielle Kwaaitaal is represented by Bildhalle Gallery Amsterdam / Zurich.
Studio Danielle Kwaaitaal NDSM-PLEIN 43 1033 WC Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mail: danielle@daniellekwaaitaal.nl
See: daniellekwaaitaal.com
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