Biography
(Self-Portrait with my Afghan Hounds: Bashir and Tiziano)
Sabrina van den Heuvel is a Dutch photographer based in The Hague. She’s attracted to classic black & white photography, music and fashion. In her work she combines those three elements with flair and passion. Her style is characterized by raw, moving images with strong contrasts. Narrative, dynamic photographs. Real moments of intensity, spontaneous and speedy.
Sabrina is inspired by Rahim Redcar, a French singer and songwriter, formerly known as Christine and the Queens, The Smiths, Vaslav Nijinsky, Yves Saint Laurent and Arthur Rimbaud.
The talented photographer graduated on the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. Her free spirit was shown in her series ‘Bedroom Diaries’. Autonomous work of Sabrina has been presented in The Hague Museum of Photography , (Honorable mention) and during art fairs
like PAN Amsterdam, New York Photo Festival, Fotofever Brussels , KunstRAI (ART Amsterdam) and The University Institute for Art History in Florence, Italy.
Sabrina van den Heuvel became ‘artist in residence’ at the University Institute for Art History (NIKI) in Florence formed by members and representatives from major museums such as the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. Sabrina was appointed by director Prof. Dr. Michael W. Kwakkelstein. During her stay at the NIKI she was inspired by the nature surrounding Florence and Rome, the remains of classical antiquity at Tivoli and the masterpieces of Caravaggio and Michelangelo. Here she created her series Corpus Dei starring Jacopo Cangi.
Corpus Dei, Sabrina’s first series of male nudes, is a range of exciting, challenging compositions combining her sense of drama with a timeless aesthetic and with personages that deeply touch your soul.
The photo series Corpus Dei was combined with beautiful icons of Christ during the Corpus Dei Museum exhibition from November 2021 to June 2022 in the Icon Museum. There, a harmonious and surprising presentation is realized in six rooms, in which selected icons are shown next to photos of Sabrina.
The photo book is flourishing like never before and Sabrina van den Heuvel got her series Corpus Dei published by publishing house Lecturis. Corpus Dei is launched at auction house Sotheby’s Amsterdam.
After launching Corpus Dei, Sabrina van den Heuvel once again returned to Italy. In the former psychiatric hospital of Volterra, she created a new series of black-and-white photographs. Nicolò Giacopuzzi became her new model and posed in numerous locations in and around the abandoned institution, which still exuded the atmosphere of all the mental and physical needs of its former residents. In fact, from its founding in 1888 until its closure in 1978, the psychiatric patients (thousands of them) were left to their fate and could not escape from the building. The architecture seems to fit right into a horror film, menacing and sinister. It is no coincidence that the place was called ‘The place of no return’: The main character embodies the inner struggle, the tormented feelings, and the loneliness in a poignant way, with the sophisticated compositions strongly emphasizing the fears and mental confusion. Sometimes in close-up, with a focus on the contorted grimace, then again focused on the fragile, sometimes naked body, Sabrina van den Heuvel manages to capture the fear and eccentric character particularly well. At the same time, we as viewers are confronted with our own inner feelings, and we can empathize with the confused state of the model, synonymous with the current confusing zeitgeist, and we see ourselves reflected in the main character.
The series will be shown for the first time in the basement of the Koelwaterhal, Zwolle in 2026, a new cultural hotspot in Europe. In addition to the photographs, projections, a soundscape and special installation will modify the space in such a way that visitors experience the oppressive atmosphere of the Manicomio and the fears and feelings of the main character, Nicolò Giacopuzzi.
Part of Sabrina’s new exhibition features Nicolò Giacopuzzi shot in Italy’s largest former psychiatric hospital. Please note: this photo series is part of Sabrina’s new major exhibition which opens in 2026 and also shows Corpus dei, a series of Giancarlo Prandelli, an Italian singer, composer and record producer. Over the years, he has collaborated with artists such as Laura Pausini, Mina, Blanco, Guè Pequeno, etc. And above all spectaculair new portraits of Rahim Redcar, formerly known as Christine and the Queens.
More details and the opening date will follow shortly!