Interview
Jesper Krijgsman
Jesper Krijgsman was born in Amsterdam in 1992 and lived in Switzerland for 12 years.
In Switzerland, Jesper has worked as a graphic designer and artist. He was named a Top Talent by Adobe in 2019, and his work hangs in multiple galleries around the world.
What is your background and how did you start your journey?
“After working for some years in graphic design, my passion and fascination for visual storytelling culminated in creating my own personal work, with nature as its subject.
The innocence of the natural world, diversity in evolution and desire for a world where people would be more in touch with the natural world is something I felt I had to explore more. This opened up a whole new world to me where I could use my technical craft and discover new things about our world.”
What inspires you most?
“I’m constantly learning about new plant species and animal behaviors. I consider the creativity in evolution of flora and fauna to be something close to magical. The ingenuity of many life forms is something that is often overlooked. This sense of wonder is what I want to show in my work, to highlight nature’s diversity by amplifying its mystique qualities.
I’m often amazed to learn about a peculiar strategy some organisms found to adapt, coexist, and reproduce. This resourcefulness makes me empathize with plants and animals, and I want to celebrate this in my work. I believe there’s much to learn from observing the diversity of nature and the balance of life.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I strive to present the viewer with more than a beautiful image, finding resonance between the viewer’s emotion and the flora and fauna depicted. I aim to have my vision contribute to a realization that nature possesses some form of intelligence through its evolutionary process.
I also try to show that all living organisms are capable of empathy, and thrive harmoniously when living beside each other.”
How would you describe your work?
“My detailed supernatural photographic landscapes depict scenes in which the mystical qualities of the natural world are magnified.
Working on this project gave me a new appreciation for the natural world, through learning about the ingenuity of the emergence of all life forms. We see today, through some form of evolutionary magic, the interpretation of nature on an emotional level, and exploration of natural landscapes we might encounter in dreams.”
“Through photography and image-editing, I construct supernatural landscapes where dreams and biology blend together.
My detailed collages are so vividly realized, one could almost step into these compositions and explore my paradisiacal dreamscapes.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Erwin Olaf, Ysabel Lemay, Bas Meeuws, and Simen Johan are the main artists who’ve influenced me.”
What is your creative process like?
“My process allows me to have a much deeper connection with plants and animals than I’ve ever experienced before. Even though it’s quite time-consuming, photographing each plant and animal I work with and editing these individually often has me exploring new details and learning about the intelligence of these living things.
These photographed natural elements are assembled digitally to create detailed worlds that depict scenes in which the mystical qualities of the natural world are highlighted. Photographing, editing, and especially learning about the subjects I photograph provides a hands-on experience that strengthens my connection to the natural world.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“An artist is a dreamer. All art is political. I’d like to see a world where there’s more balance between people and the natural world; a win-win scenario.”
