Izzy Holsman

Artist Statement

Since my adolescence, I’ve struggled with the idea of being seen—of having my appearance judged or ridiculed. As I’ve grown older, my relationship with my body has evolved, and I’ve come to feel more at home in my skin. At the same time, photography became a way for me to gain control over how I presented myself to the world.

Initially, I used photography as a tool to control and manipulate my image. But over time, my focus shifted—I now embrace the imperfections, the mistakes, and the raw, unscripted moments that reveal us at our most vulnerable—when we’re unaware of the lens capturing us. Through portraiture, I seek to explore identity in its most authentic form, bringing light to the moments that reveal who we truly are. I love more than anything to take beautiful photos of my friends, especially the ones who didn’t feel beautiful. One of my best friends had a traumatic childhood and she hating looking at herself in the mirror because of it. I remember taking a photo of her when she didn’t know— she was smiling. When I developed it and send it to her, she cried. She said she felt seen. It’s an emotional thing for me to see people experiencing what I experienced. People that didn’t feel beautiful finally recognizing that they are. It’s not just about capturing the image but about creating a moment where someone can truly see themselves differently—sometimes in a way that’s long overdue.

My work aims to capture these fleeting, genuine moments with analog photography, preserving them in a way that feels both vulnerable and beautiful. When I look at a portrait, I want to feel the presence of the person in the room—their energy, their emotion—radiating through the image.

My work is a meditation on how portraiture can unveil the individuality and uniqueness of human identity.