Artist Statement

My work is an act of deep listening.

Born in the Karoo to nature-loving parents who were actively involved in conservation, my first language was that of the earth: a grammar of silence, resilience, and slow time.

My photographic practice is one of gathering. This methodical process is rooted in my training as a field scientist and nature guide, where patient observation is the primary tool. I approach the land as a student equipped with data, a guide reading animal tracks, and a conservationist feeling the fragile pulse of an ecosystem.

This scientific framework directly supports my emotional and artistic inquiry. My focus is the ecology of a moment: how light, form, and life interact to create a transient, perfect whole.

My compositions balance documentation with abstraction. They invite the viewer to experience the vast scale and the intimate detail of the wild at once. I create images to hold the quiet power of the landscapes I have dedicated my life to understanding.

Ultimately, my photography is a plea to see the world as a complex, living narrative to which we all belong. I create these works as artefacts of connection, as compelling evidence of a beauty that demands our compassion.

Contact

Email photo@gitaclaassen.co.za
Phone +27 (0) 81 077 8694
Based in Cape Town, South Africa

Get in touch with me using the form below.

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