Liezl Zwarts offers a masterclass in pivoting from commercial to art photography

An aerial color photograph of two nude people floating side-by-side and face-down in clear, shallow water over rocks.

(Image credit: Liezl Zwarts)

Liezl Zwarts is stepping into the European solo exhibition spotlight during Paris Photo Week with her new series, Hope Is A Whisper. This is a big moment for the South African photographer following her win of the 2025 Paris Photography Prize (PX3) Gold in the Fine Art/Nude category. But what makes this story particularly relevant for working photographers is the journey that led here.

For over a decade, Zwarts built a career in fashion, beauty, and advertising photography. She cut her teeth in New York, refining her craft under celebrated shooters including Sante D’Orazio and Jason Kibbler.

This background speaks volumes. It means her visual language – her mastery of light, composition, and the human form – is rooted in high-level, practical expertise. The commercial world demands precision and flawless execution. Now those skills are now being turned inward, serving a profoundly personal artistic vision.

Because Hope Is A Whisper is truly a lesson in artistic vulnerability. This body of work, quietly developed over eight years, was born from heartbreak, pain and the slow process of healing... and it shows.

Gold in the cracks

The central metaphor Zwarts employs is kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer and gold. The philosophy is profound: breakage is not the end of beauty, but the beginning of transformation.

But Zwarts doesn't just reference kintsugi; she physically incorporates it into her creative process. On her photographs, which are printed on linen canvases, she weaves gold threads. This act transforms the scars, illuminating what was once shattered and making it more radiant than before.

A large black and white image of a nude person curled in a fetal position, digitally printed on linen with vertical gold threads stitched into the fabric, hanging from a wooden dowel. — (Image credit: Liezl Zwarts)

A black and white image of a nude person's back and buttocks standing in a grassy field, digitally printed on linen with visible gold thread stitching, hanging from a wooden dowel. — (Image credit: Liezl Zwarts)

It all adds up to a masterclass in mixed media and conceptual execution. For Zwarts, it's not enough to simply photograph a theme; her intentional, physical act of stitching gold into the image gives the work extraordinary emotional depth and tangible meaning.

Meanwhile the vulnerability she captures in her subjects – photographing women whose own "cracks reveal strength, turning fragility into testimony and imperfection into brilliance" – is mirrored by her own artistic vulnerability in turning personal pain into public art.

Reminder of resilience

Zwarts' work explores universal themes: resilience, identity and the female form as a vessel of lived experience. She crafts images that are both intimate and universal, drawing on a meticulous visual language of skin, shadow and shape.

Hope Is A Whisper isn't about erasing pain but honoring it, revealing the strength that emerges from quiet perseverance. It’s a message that resonates far beyond the gallery walls: hope is not always visible, but it is always present.

An overhead color photograph showing a person with braided hair sitting nude and embracing their knees at the edge of shallow, murky water over dark rocks. — (Image credit: Liezl Zwarts)

An aerial black and white photograph of a nude person floating face-down in shallow, clear water over a bed of dark rocks and pebbles. — (Image credit: Liezl Zwarts)

It’s always inspiring to watch a photographer make a significant pivot, especially when it results in the kind of deeply personal, technically stunning work we’re seeing here. Overall, it's a compelling reminder that the best art often emerges from our deepest pain, and the skills honed in the commercial world can be the foundation for true fine art brilliance.

Hope Is A Whisper runs alongside Paris Photo Week, until November 15 at Lilia Ben Salah Gallery, 6, avenue Delcassé, 75008 Paris.

Tom May is a freelance writer and editor specializing in art, photography, design and travel. He has been editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. He has also worked for a wide range of mainstream titles including The Sun, Radio Times, NME, T3, Heat, Company and Bella.

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