It’s amazing how a mother-to-be today can determine if her unborn child has 47 chromosomes
— an indicator of Down syndrome. Thanks to science and cautious parents-to-be, fewer
children are being born with the condition. When I learned this, I couldn’t help but
wonder; could there be no one left with Down syndrome in our near future? No one wants
their child to go through life having to cope with a perceived handicap, but when it
happens, the parent can't imagine living without their child regardless of circumstance.
This idea inspired me to create portraits of young children with Down Syndrome. To
visualize their emotions, unique personality and also to empasize just how beautiful they
are. This is Isa
Justine Tjallinks (born 1984) is an Amsterdam-based Dutch Photographer and Art-Director. After graduating from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute cum laude, she moved on to work as the Art-Director for one of the leading fashion titles in L’Officiel Magazine. After a few years, whilst being responsible for the aesthetics of the magazine, she realized that instead of curating other people’s photography, she found herself wishing it was her making those stories come to life.
Justine does not consider herself a photographer by definition, but an image-maker carefully curating elements to communicate a feeling. That the beholder feels is always her main objective. Photography is the vehicle chosen to convey that emotion. The emotions in her works mirror her own experiences and are then translated to a visual metaphor. Viewing her works will give a sense of intimacy between you and the subject.
Justine's artworks have graced the cover of “New Dutch Photography Talent 2015”, exhibited by “Vogue Italia” in the Leica Gallery Milan and is selected as the grand winner of the LIFE FRAMER PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD 2015. Justine is also a Zeiss lenses ambassador.
Awards LENSCULTURE WINNER 2016
International Photography competition
1st place - Portrait Awards - Single image category
PX3 PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS WINNER
International photography competition
2nd place - Category Children Portrait
LENSCULTURE FINALIST 2015
International Photography competition
Finalist - Exposure awards - Single image category
LIFE FRAMER GRAND SERIES WINNER 2015
International Photography competition
NEW DUTCH PHOTOGRAPHY TALENT 2015
Book cover, curated by GUP Magazine
ZEISS LENSES AMBASSADOR
One of three Zeiss ambassadors in the Netherlands
