Dutch fashion photographer Viviane Sassen will have her first major retrospective in the Netherlands with the exhibition PHOSPHOR: Art & Fashion, which runs from September 20th, 2024 to January 12th, 2025. Held at Foam in Amsterdam, the extensive show features over 200 works spanning her thirty-year career, including photography, collage, painting and video.
The exhibition explores Sassen’s exploration of new photographic forms and the importance of intimacy in her creative process. It highlights her unique approach to capturing human emotion and artistic expression through saturated colour, mastery of light and shadow, and evocative depictions of the human body.
Known for her deep emotional resonance and boundary-pushing aesthetic, Sassen’s work reflects her belief in photography as a magical medium—a mirror that reveals the inner self and a gateway to limitless possibilities. Her notable series such as Flamboya, Parasomnia and Lexicon, as well as her influential fashion collaborations, underline her significant impact on both art and fashion photography.
This retrospective offers an immersive experience into Sassen’s multifaceted artistic journey, highlighting her contributions to the visual arts and her innovative vision within the fashion world.
Dior, 2019
Courtesy of VIVIANE SASSEN and STEVENSON (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Amsterdam)
It’s Not Easy Being Green for Dazed Magazine, 2009
Courtesy of VIVIANE SASSEN and STEVENSON (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Amsterdam)
Adidas X Pharrell, 2017
Courtesy of VIVIANE SASSEN and STEVENSON (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Amsterdam)
DNA, from the series Lexicon, 2007
Courtesy of VIVIANE SASSEN and STEVENSON (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Amsterdam)
Giallo, from the series Pikin Slee, 2013
100Codex, 2010
