Otherworldly Images of Forests by Michelle Blancke Explore Mysticism and Transformation — Colossal

“I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that our perceived reality is shaped by our minds and reflecting our inner world,” says artist Michelle Blancke, whose ethereal images of timber, glens, and foliage invite us into a well-known but uncanny world. Her lens-based apply explores themes of interdependence, consciousness, and concealment, particularly by the topic of nature.

Blancke’s vivid Secret Garden collection contains a complete of 5 sub-categories: Realm, Ascent, Essence, Veins, and Origin. Whether capturing the waxy floor of an intricately veined leaf or the best way vines create shadowy veils over gnarled timber, she’s all for relationships between “transformation, mysticism, and the thin veil between the seen and the unseen,” she says. “When I enter woodland, it feels like stepping into a parallel space where something hidden becomes perceptible.”

Much of Blancke’s course of includes strolling—transferring by forested areas till a sure ambiance or interplay with daylight resonates together with her. “When I photograph, I’m responding to that feeling rather than to the literal scene in front of me,” she says.

It’s throughout digital post-production that Blancke begins to make extra deliberate decisions, shifting hues “to amplify the emotional tone I sensed in the moment,” she says. “The colours are a way of revealing an inner layer that already felt present while I was standing there. It’s an attempt to make the invisible atmosphere visible.”

Blancke’s work is on view by January 25 as a part of the 2025 Aesthetica Art Prize exhibition at York Art Gallery. She additionally works carefully with BBA Gallery. Explore extra on the artist’s website and Instagram.