Katja van der Kwast

Katja van der Kwast (Deventer, 1967) Katja's love for art began in her youth with drawing and painting, you could always find her with a sketchbook, observing and sketching. Art has always been her passion and subject at school, which eventually led to a creative foundation as a Graphic Designer. This was followed by various classical and contemporary art techniques through (master) classes and visual art photography.

Shaped by her Indonesian spiritual heritage, she notices everything, the finest connections, the emotions she could read, the interconnectedness of everything. With a combined French Huguenot/Indonesian ancestral background, she has a fascination with history, cultures, and the invisible depth and continuous interaction between the visible and the invisible, and connections in history and time. Katja became fascinated by the depth behind the obvious, the depth beneath the visible.

” Omnia vivunt, omnia inter se conexa"

Everything is alive, everything is interconnected

~ Cicero ~

"I enjoy weaving threads from history, space, cultures, religion and myths into a mirror made Visible by the Invisible."

She explores the duality of existence and reveals hidden connections between cultures, religions, and places, as if there were no boundaries in time. Inspired by the interplay between the visible and the invisible, matter and spirit, and subjects that extend across time, she connects people profoundly with all layers of humanity. In doing so, she invites the viewer to reflect, connect, and take a gentle step beyond the surface.

One of the most innovative aspects of her art is research and mixed media. The visual concept emerges from reflection combined with in-depth thematic research, drawing also on her own knowledge of history and cultures, resulting in new visions of global spectrums. This is achieved by weaving together heritage, spirituality, rituals, and futurism, which translates into a mixed media of photography and digital art. This hybrid process helps blur boundaries between analog and digital, old and new art forms. Recurring themes in her work are mythology and interconnectedness, which transcend past, present, and future globally. She translates these into a single focal point within every image or series. The interconnectedness of the world resonates in her work.

Katja van der Kwast is a photographer and PA.

Katja began her career in Fashion Graphic Design, but due to circumstances, she changed course to support at a C-level PA. Art remained a passion; she took art classes and attended various (master) classes in photography, among other subjects, to expand her skills.