Channa van Boxtel

Captured Perspectives

A spatial dialogue between photography and the environment.

Since I was born, my father has captured my life with his camera. For years, I was the one in front of the lens, but in recent years, I've stepped behind it myself. For me, photography is not only a way to preserve memories, but also to consciously observe and experience my surroundings differently.

The camera lens has made me more aware of details, contrasts, and perspectives. My way of seeing has changed: I look not only straight ahead, but also up, down, and around me. The camera offers the possibility of framing, zooming in, and highlighting certain elements out of their context, something that isn't obvious to the naked eye. This conscious observation has influenced not only my photography but also my design approach.

In my architectural work, I explore how spaces can be more than purely functional. How can architecture evoke an experience? How do I design spaces that invite people to look more consciously and reflect on their surroundings?

By reducing a three-dimensional environment to a two-dimensional image and translating this into a spatial design, an interplay between 2D and 3D arises. My photography functions not only as an image but as a starting point for the design. This creates an interplay between seeing and experiencing, in which image and space reinforce each other.

At five busy locations in Zwolle, I have created spatial designs derived from my photography. These installations not only provide a stage for my work but also invite passersby to pause and view their surroundings with new eyes. They form a dialogue between image and space, an invitation to experience the everyday with greater attention and wonder.