ShHS

Sharon Houben is an autonomous artist that studied Visual Arts – Photography and lives in Antwerp, Belgium.

Sharon’s work consists primarily of black-and-white analogue photographs, almost always made outdoors. She mainly photographs people, animals, and nature. She is interested in vulnerability, alternative forms of beauty, and the ever-changing nature of existence. 

For her, photographing is almost a meditative practice: a moment of concentration and stillness in which her thoughts fade into the background and her eyes and intuition take over.  She walks, observes, and follows her instincts. Her attention is fully focused on what draws her in that particular moment and space. 

This way of working translates into layered images that are often quiet, dreamlike, and somewhat mysterious. A body or landscape is not simply the subject of a photograph, but can evoke something about the way we relate to ourselves and our surroundings.  

The choice of analogue film is essential to her practice. It contributes to the slower pace of the process, while the grain, noise, and imperfections give the images a tactile quality. Not everything is sharp, polished, or fully controllable – and that is precisely where she finds excitement. These small imperfections make the images feel tangible and human, while leaving room for chance and individuality. It is also this element of chance that draws her to the technique of double exposure. 

Her photography is both personal and inviting. The images emerge from an exploration of what moves her and what is happening within her that is difficult to put into words. What begins as a journey through her own inner world ultimately becomes something she can share with others. 

Through her work, Sharon hopes to create a moment of pause and contemplation. Her photographs invite the viewer to slow down, look more closely, and make room for feeling and imagination. She strongly believes in the importance of this in a world that is constantly, and increasingly, demanding our attention and stuck in routines. 

If her work has something to offer, it is that space: space to feel, to reflect, and simply to be present with the beauty and sensitivity of existence.