Mariska Karto, a Dutch artist with roots in Suriname, embarks on a captivating artistic journey that bridges the classical and the contemporary. Originally a textile artist, Karto transitioned to photography in 2010, driven by a desire to give tangible form to her inner world and emotions.

Drawing inspiration from the masters of the Renaissance, Karto’s work pays homage to the grandeur and timeless beauty of classical painting. Her compositions, suffused with soft light and rich tones, evoke the atmospheric qualities of frescoes and Baroque masterpieces. Yet her subjects are far from historical; they emerge as figures seemingly plucked from the realm of eternal dreams, their expressions imbued with a timelessness that transcends the constraints of specific eras.

In Karto’s world, characters inhabit a landscape of enduring emotions—a realm that has existed for centuries yet finds fresh embodiment in our contemporary reality. Through her lens, she captures the essence of these timeless feelings, infusing them with a modern sensibility that resonates with today’s audience.

Her work stands as a testament to the enduring power of classical aesthetics and the artist’s ability to reinterpret them for the present day. Karto’s photographs invite us to contemplate the intersection of past and present, the timeless and the ephemeral, encouraging a deep reflection on the emotional landscapes that connect us across time.