Alex ten Napel

Alex ten Napel is a Dutch photographer known for his quiet and intense portrait series Water Portraits. In this project, he photographs his models in a swimming pool, with their faces positioned at the boundary between water and air. Through the use of a white background, wet hair, and a strong focus on the face, the images center on emotion and vulnerability. The work explores how subtle facial expressions can reveal something about a person’s inner world. In my own practice, I am also engaged with perception and the human inner world, which is why this project resonates with me.

What draws me to his work is the way he makes emotion and identity visible through a simple yet carefully constructed setting. The images feel intimate and concentrated. As a viewer, you are invited to look longer and to read small details in expressions and thoughts.