Wings
 
Giclée print on Hahnemühle FineArt Pearl paper.
Size 30x20 cm without white border.
 
 In a time when the world is characterized by war, polarization, and a constant flow of information, this work depicts the tension between what we see and what we can no longer, or do not wish to, behold. The single bird in the empty space represents freedom, hope, and the fragility of peace. The image invites stillness and reflection: how do we preserve our humanity when the horizon becomes increasingly uncertain?
 
Mariëtte Aernoudts is a self-taught photographer who captures stories in images. What began with capturing portraits grew during the pandemic into a serene search for natural elements in her immediate surroundings.
 
She finds inspiration in the everyday, but also in old paintings, nature, and silence. A bird, a cloud, a piece of fabric, or a deserted landscape can be the beginning of a new image. Her compositions are characterized by simplicity and a melancholic atmosphere, in which light and space play an important role.
 
With her photography, she does not seek answers, but rather wonder. She believes that art does not need to be explained, but is allowed to touch. When an image makes someone pause for a moment, evokes a memory, or offers a new perspective, it has achieved its purpose. That is the essence of her work: making visible the poetry hidden behind the everyday.
 
Her work has received recognition at home and abroad, with exhibitions in Tuscany, Paris (Paris Photo 2024), and Arles (Faces/Visages 2025), among others.
 
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