Human//Nature

The new series in progress “Human//Nature” can be seen as a logical continuation of Astrid Verhoef’s “Inscapes” series. With “Inscapes” Astrid investigates her connection to the natural world, and how it influences her sense of identity. The complicated relationship between human and nature is a common thread throughout her work. When she places herself in desolate landscapes, a character arises that wants to connect with her surroundings, but can feel out of place. She can find peace & solace but also struggles with her roots in contemporary modern life and humankind's place in the natural world. Astrid’s images can be seen as emotional translations where a desire for synergy is challenged by an urge to control. With “Human// Nature” the investigation continues but the character seems to move more and more into anonymity, sometimes leaving not much more than a human shape. With an even more minimal visual language and an increasingly geometrical approach to composition, Astrid aims to emphasize the contrast between the human presence and the natural. At the same time she wants to create a moment or a scene that can only exist because of the combination of the two. During the course of the long-term project, preview selections of the "Human//Nature" series have been shown at the Salon des Beaux Arts Paris, ImageNation Milan & Paris, FotoFestival Naarden, Rotterdam Photo, Haute Photographie Rotterdam, PAN Amsterdam, and KunstRAI Amsterdam. For the first time a large overview of the award-winning series was shown as a solo exhibition in the heart of Amsterdam at Atelier K84, in collaboration with Koster Fine Art Gallery, in the spring of 2024.