Photographer's Profile

Mirthe van den Berg

Netherlands

Mirthe van den Berg is a self-taught conceptual photographer working primarily with digital image manipulation. Her practice exists at the intersection of realism and surrealism, shaped by a strong affinity for cinematic, painterly, and ethereal aesthetics. After a severe health crisis left her bedridden, and wheelchair- and care-dependent for several years, art became both a necessity and a language through which she processes her lived experiences. From the stillness of a single room, she began translating pain, trauma, loss, fragility, and dependence into carefully constructed visual narratives. What began as drawing from within her bed, gradually evolved into conceptual photography, with physical limitation becoming an integral part of her creative process. Working largely from her home and immediate surroundings, van den Berg visualizes her inner world while exploring themes of identity, (women’s) health, loss and grief, resilience, and healing. Through meticulous digital photo manipulation, she deconstructs and rebuilds images to give form to complex emotions that often resist words. Her work has received international recognition from platforms and awards including the International Photography Awards, LensCulture Art Awards, BIFA, FAPA, ZoomNL, Freeda, Art-Icon and Hungry Eye.