Artworks by Mariska Karto

I was born in Suriname, South America, and carry a rich cultural heritage within me: Surinamese, Indonesian, African and Dutch. I grew up in the Netherlands, surrounded by the legacy of the old Dutch masters — in a land where Vermeer and Rembrandt are never far from sight.

An assignment for a perfume brand once took me to Venice. There, I was deeply moved by the baroque art, architecture, and layered history of the city. That experience stirred something profound in me and became a lasting source of inspiration that still shapes my artistic vision today.

My creative process is carefully crafted and deeply multidisciplinary. I build my sets with great attention to detail, incorporating my other artistic passions: charcoal drawing, working with gold, textiles, and advanced photo manipulation. Every piece I create brings all these elements together into one cohesive expression.

I photograph human figures, men and women but mainly women — powerful, glamorous, mysterious figures who exist in dreamlike, emotive worlds. They often appear unaware of their surroundings, yet they radiate a quiet, irresistible dominance.

My work is sensual and poetic, blending fantasy with the emotional sensitivity of the old masters, while remaining rooted in the present.

After many years, I returned to my birth country. I traveled deep into the Amazon Rainforest, reconnecting with my native land, its raw beauty, and the overwhelming force of nature. That journey awakened a new path in my work — one that explores the relationship between self and the connection between landscape. But most of all, the love for nature.

My work moves between contrasts: energy and stillness, strength and sensitivity. Color, form, and atmosphere are the threads that tie everything together. Life has taught me that I need both — the intensity and the calm — to create balance in my art and within myself.