Thirza Schaap (b. 1971) is a Dutch artist and photographer renowned for her thought-provoking project , Plastic Ocean. Blending delicate aesthetics with environmental activism, Schaap transforms discarded beach plastics into striking still life compositions. Inspired by classical painting, she replaces traditional luxury symbols with single-use plastics, creating a visual contradiction that evokes both beauty and repulsion.
Her work has gained international recognition, with features in publications like Vogue, Elle, and Aperture, and exhibitions across Amsterdam, Cape Town, Maastricht, and Rotterdam. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Schaap continues to explore sustainability, consumerism, and ecological grief through photography and painting.
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Thirza Schaap (b. 1971) is a Dutch artist and photographer renowned for her thought-provoking project , Plastic Ocean. Blending delicate aesthetics with environmental activism, Schaap transforms discarded beach plastics into striking still life compositions. Inspired by classical painting, she replaces traditional luxury symbols with single-use plastics, creating a visual contradiction that evokes both beauty and repulsion.
Her work has gained international recognition, with features in publications like Vogue, Elle, and Aperture, and exhibitions across Amsterdam, Cape Town, Maastricht, and Rotterdam. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Schaap continues to explore sustainability, consumerism, and ecological grief through photography and painting.
