Mon 28 Jun, 2021
The Courtauld Friends have been invited by our arts partner KTW London to attend a guided tour of Dutch artist Isabelle van Zeijl’s solo exhibition: The Camouflaged Beauty of Fashion.
Isabelle van Zeijl creates striking photographic self-portraits, which reference the works of Old Masters – producing the entirety of the scenes independently, from the costume design and makeup, to the lighting and editing. Isabelle has also collaborated with the celebrated designers, including Iris Van Herpen.
The Camouflaged Beauty of Fashion will bring together Isabelle van Zeijl’s varied body of enigmatic
photographic self-portraits, which challenge the oppressive idealisation of beauty. The works take
female archetypes of the past and sabotage them in the context of today, by referencing and
merging imagery from a historical context, particularly works of the Old Masters, with modern-day
consumer content. The result, van Zeijl’s unique female characters, confront notions of perceived
femininity and the significance of aesthetics throughout history and society.
The Camouflaged Beauty of Fashion will display nearly 20 of van Zeijl’s large-scale
photographic works. In addition to physical appearance, the pieces draw on a number of themes
that come under the construct of beauty: fashion, nature and time.
The visit will start at 5pm with an introduction by the artist Isabelle van Zeijl and Cynthia Corbett, owner of the gallery and who will be presenting the exhibition.