About the artist

Ever since I was a little girl, I was always the creative one. I drew, painted and photographed. At school I excelled in handcrafts- I could completely lose myself in an art project. School projects often went home with me where I finished the project to perfection.  Then I would go on until the wee hours, and I couldn't sleep from all the inspiration. I can still hear my parents saying: “leave it, tomorrow is another day”. That is still the case today only then my partner tells me: “Don’t stay up too late”.

(Thesis art and crafts, assignment ' furniture')

When I’ve been photographing or editing late into the night, I can’t sleep. My mind races with ideas, and I find myself creating new images in my head before I’ve even finished the ones on my screen. I’m truly a visual thinker—always envisioning the final result long before it’s actually realized.

My Style

My art is a celebration of the many facets of women—their beauty, strength, and individuality. I’m inspired by the stories they share, their desires, and their complexity.

Great masters in photography, like Lindsay Adler with her bold fashion imagery and Jimmy Nelson with his compelling portraits, have deeply influenced my work. My fascination with film also plays a huge role, helping me translate vivid imagination into powerful visual stories.

Materials, colors, and tones are at the heart of my process. I adore working with series and experimenting with black-and-white editing to bring depth and nuance to my pieces. My style is best described as classy bold with a touch of mysterious raw. I love layering textures, playing with fabrics, and using rich black tones to achieve striking gray-scale compositions in my work.

As I always say:
"I’m Justa van Heertum—I don’t take a picture; I create one."

Interested in reading my full art journey?

Read this blog post on how I found my creative path again.