About me
I
am Madelon van Vredendaal (b. 2003, Utrecht, The Netherlands), a conceptual photographer with an interest in magical realism, ecology and social justice. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Photography (Fine Art) from Willem de Kooning Academy.
From an early age, I have felt a deep connection to nature and to life in all its forms. As a child, I initially explored this connection through religion, but gradually came to understand that art was the language through which I could best express it. As I grew older, this sense of wonder became increasingly intertwined with an awareness of the violence and systems of oppression threatening the very things I felt so deeply connected to. This awareness drew me towards activism and feminist thinking. Through my engagement with intersectional feminist theory, I developed a critical perspective that continues to inform my practice: one that questions dominant narratives, challenges what is presented as natural or inevitable, and one that imagines possibilities beyond the limits of what we have been taught. In this way, my work becomes both a reflection and a reinterpretation of reality, of the world around us as the world within ourselves.
I found photography to be the medium and space in which these feelings converge. Inspired by the critical and political roots of Surrealism, as well as the concept of aesthetic justice, I work with experimental lighting and camera techniques, alongside styling. The meaning of my work unfolds through the photographic process itself, resulting in dreamlike yet evocative images, characterised by a strong sensitivity to colour and composition.
My work is grounded in my belief that ''To change the world, we must first imagine the world we long for. By imagining connection, we create it. And what we learn to love, we fight to protect.
