Viviane

Lilac from the series Flamboya

Sassen

Viviane Sassen is a Dutch contemporary mixed-media artist. Her distinctive and eclectic visual oeuvre spans over 30 years of practice and explores both the depths of human emotion and the boundaries of artistic expression.

Death, sexuality, desire and connection with others are all motifs that structure her work. Known for her use of saturated colours, mastery of light and shadow, and distinctive depictions of the human body, Sassen's work is a testament to her artistic language.

Viviane Sassen studied fashion design, followed by photography at the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU). Sassen spent her childhood in Kenia, where her experiences served as the initial inspiration for her images. She later returned to Africa, creating the series Flamboya (2008), Parasomnia (2011), and Lexicon (2014), through which she gained recognition with a broader audience.

Sassen is acclaimed for both her visual art and innovative fashion photography, with numerous publications in her name, including in New York Times Magazine, i-D, Numéro, POP, AnOther, and Dazed. Additionally, she has collaborated with renowned fashion brands such as Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Cartier, Armani, and Hermès. Her work has been exhibited worldwide, and in 2007 she was awarded the Dutch art prize Prix de Rome.  

Blue Alchemy, from the series Modern Alchemy, 2022 © Viviane Sassen
Botter, 2022 © Viviane Sassen.

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Two people looking to each other with a big red moon in the background

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Viviane Sassen