WILD BEAUTY

The horse meaning signifies overcoming obstacles, and how you should carry yourself in the face of adversity. The horse spirit animal works hard to remind you to take care of your emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. In some cultures, the white horses stand for the balance of wisdom and power. The horse is a universal symbol of freedom without restraint because riding a horse made people feel they could free themselves from their own bindings. Emerging from a long evolution stretching back nearly 50 million years comes the horse, a wild beauty. It flies across the landscape with thundering hooves as if to run out of its own skin for the love of freedom. Represented the strength of maturity to handle what life brings, the black horse was a messenger of esoteric knowledge. He was a keeper of secrets and mysteries. Inspired by the relationship between humanity and the horse, Van Zeijl traveled the Wild West upon horseback in search for the iconic American symbol: The Wild Horse, who still live freely on the Western rangelands. Her journey and the meaningful relationship between horses and humans inspired her to investigate and dive deep and created a series of self-portraits with horses. Every night she photographed herself with the horses under the moonlight. Sitting naked on the concrete floor in a freezing cold barn in front of her camera. In order to gain the horse’s trust, she had to evolve into complete surrender. As horses mirror our deepest fears, they are typically non-judgmental, have no preconceived expectations or motives, and are highly effective at mirroring attitudes and behaviors of the humans. These series carry out an important message for all of us. It is time to embark on the ultimate voyage through inner space, to learn about trust, surrender, and natural leadership to achieve the impossible, reach for the stars and touch them.

VAN ZEIJL AVAILABLE WORKS