High Tea

Objects, they are just like people. And people are not objects. Marie Cécile Thijs became famous for her portrait photography.

Food is always a major theme in the works of Marie Cécile Thijs.

Het Financiële Dagblad asked Marie Cécile Thijs to make a portrait series of 40 chefs. She invited them to her studio and asked them: what is the unique feature of your kitchen and style? Marie Cécile personalized her decors and settings per chef, based on their answer.

…and scientists, physicists, chemists, biologists. Just take a look at the Instagram The Art of Plating.

And slowly Thijs' work builds towards magical and surrealistic still lifes. They wanted to bring objects to life, and gave them a different role than their usual one. Sometimes she photographs with the help of light, like Rembrandt, and sometimes with the help of assistants. And sometimes, sometimes it is just magic.

How can I make this arrangement? Is it perspective? Is there manipulation? Or… Is the teapot really floating?

Marie Cécile Thijs (NL, 1964) is a photographer who is asked all over the world to use her unique talents. From regular columns in the Financieele Dagblad to works of art in The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond (US). He holds a license to be Artist of the Year 2024.