Some artists capture images.
Mariska Karto creates worlds.
Born in Suriname and shaped by roots across South America, Indonesia, Africa, and the Netherlands, Mariska’s work exists at the intersection of identity, emotion, and imagination.
Mariska spends a lot of time carefully constructing her sets, which also involves her other talents. She sketches with charcoal, works with gold, textiles, and is an excellent photo manipulator. All of her talents come together in every piece of work she creates.
What begins as emotion transforms into atmosphere.
Today, her works do not simply present a subject.
Layered. Cinematic. Introspective.
In what ways has your personal journey influenced the way you create?
Mariska’s journey began not with intention, but with necessity.
During a difficult period in her life, she felt an urgent need to express herself. Art was not a choice — it was a response.
She explored drawing.
She worked with textiles.
She experimented with form and texture.
Then came photography.
What started as a tool for expression quickly became her primary language — a way to translate emotion into visual form. That initial spark grew into a lasting force.
Her work is shaped by her multicultural identity.
Surinamese. Indonesian. African. Dutch.
These layers are not separate — they merge into a single visual language, influencing how she sees beauty, femininity, and connection.
Her practice is not constructed. It is lived.
Who or what has had the strongest impact on your artistic direction?
Emotion is her foundation.
But Baroque became her turning point.
A defining moment came during a project in Venice. Surrounded by Baroque art, architecture, and history, she experienced something profound.
She saw her inner world reflected externally.
The depth.
The drama.
The intensity.
That encounter stayed with her — shaping her aesthetic into something more theatrical, more layered, more emotional.
Today, her work carries echoes of:
Baroque richness
Fantasy elements
Cultural symbolism
Her vision is immersive.
What themes, conversations, or challenges are you most drawn to exploring through your work?
At the heart of Mariska’s work lies duality.
Vulnerability and strength.
Darkness and light.
Silence and intensity.
She is deeply drawn to femininity — not as a fixed idea, but as a spectrum.
Her figures move between:
Quiet introspection
Powerful presence
Emotional exposure
Through this, art becomes a mirror.
A way to reveal what is hidden.
A way to confront what is felt but not always seen.
Her work also reflects a broader belief:
That diversity is not division —
it is beauty.
Different cultures, identities, and histories merge into one visual narrative, creating connection rather than separation.
Where do you currently create from, and what inspires you about the artistic environment around you?
Mariska’s practice is both solitary and collaborative.
While much of her process happens internally — through concept, planning, and editing — her work also relies on human connection.
She collaborates with models.
She works with friends and creatives.
She builds environments where emotion can be shared and expressed.
Her process is intensive:
Conceptualising.
Building sets.
Directing shoots.
Refining through editing.
Every stage demands presence and energy.
Yet she embraces it fully.
Because for her, creating is not just visual — it is physical, emotional, and human.
Her work is shaped not only by imagination, but by real interaction, real bodies, real presence.
Constructing Inner Worlds
Mariska Karto’s work exists between reality and imagination.
Through layered imagery, cultural depth, and emotional intensity, she creates visual worlds that feel both intimate and expansive.
Her work reminds us that identity is not singular.
It is layered.
It is evolving.
It is alive.
In her world, images are not just seen.
They are felt.
