Natalja Heybroek’s work bridges philosophy, science, and art, using organic forms and experimental materials to explore the evolving perception of self. Her abstract compositions challenge traditional artistic methods, integrating iridescent bacteria as a living, dynamic medium. Through intricate detail and movement, Heybroek’s work invites viewers into a contemplative dialogue about the fluidity of identity, human evolution, and the unseen forces that shape our understanding of the world.
Origin: Netherlands / Scotland
Currently Exhibiting in: Toronto, Canada
Website: Natalja Heybroek
Social Media: Instagram: @nataljaheybroek
Bio
Born into a lineage of creatives and intellectuals, Natalja Heybroek’s artistic perspective is deeply influenced by her upbringing in the Findhorn Foundation Community in Scotland and her Dutch heritage. With a poet father, a great-uncle who designed the Rijksmuseum, and family connections to the Van Gogh lineage, artistic inquiry has long been embedded in her life. Though she originally pursued economics, Heybroek’s passion for philosophy and material experimentation led her to develop a unique artistic practice, unbound by convention.
A self-taught artist mentored by abstract painter Brian Neish, Heybroek explores the intersection of perception, sensory experience, and the unknown. Her work has been exhibited at Toronto’s Red Head Gallery, Visual Arts Centre, and Philip Beesley’s Studio Gallery. She was also featured in Obscure Milieu, an experimental installation funded by the Ontario Arts Council. Beyond traditional exhibitions, her artistic performances push the boundaries of immersive art—most notably Equanimity in Paris, where she danced in a chainmail suit with lightning for an Iris van Herpen fashion couture show.
Heybroek’s Primaeval Lens series reflects her ongoing fascination with the subconscious, human evolution, and the organic nature of transformation. By incorporating bacteria as a living paint medium, her work challenges perceptions of time, impermanence, and materiality. These pieces evolve in the process of their creation, mirroring the ever-changing emotional landscapes within us.
Featured Artwork at Bushwick Gallery
Rooted Morality
- Year of Creation: 2023
- Medium: Bacteria paint in resin
- Dimensions: 13” x 13”
- Price: $1,800
- Description: A meditation on the primal instincts embedded in human nature, Rooted Morality challenges the viewer to consider the origins of their ethical compass. The iridescent bacteria shifts under light, mirroring the fluctuating nature of perception and judgment.
Inner Phenomena
- Year of Creation: 2023
- Medium: Bacteria paint in resin
- Dimensions: 13” x 13”
- Price: $1,800
- Description: Exploring the depths of human consciousness, Inner Phenomena visualizes the hidden emotional currents that shape our experiences. The use of living bacteria as a medium blurs the line between science and art, questioning the boundaries of materiality and thought.
The Self Unearthed
- Year of Creation: 2023
- Medium: Bacteria paint in resin
- Dimensions: 13” x 13”
- Price: $1,800
- Description: This piece delves into the evolution of self-awareness, capturing the tension between identity, transformation, and the unknown. The iridescent nature of the bacteria adds an ethereal quality, making each viewing a unique experience.
Exhibition Information
March 2025: “Metamorphosis: Transformations in Art”
Curated by: Paridhi Chawla
Theme: Exploring transformation, change, and evolution through artistic expression.
Exhibition Dates: March 6 – March 13, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 6 | 6 PM – 8 PM
Guided audio experience
For accessibility, the full video transcript is provided below for those who prefer to read or are unable to listen.
“Natalja Heybroek’s Primaeval Lens Series examines identity as an evolving, organic force, challenging the boundaries of perception, materiality, and transformation. Using bacteria as a living paint medium, these works shift over time, reflecting the impermanence of thought and the fluidity of human nature. Suspended in resin, the iridescent surfaces pulse with an otherworldly glow, inviting the viewer into a dialogue about the unseen forces that shape us.
In Rooted Morality, Heybroek explores the primal origins of ethical thought. The textured layers of bacteria, shifting under light, suggest that morality is not fixed but constantly adapting—an echo of ancestral instincts embedded in the subconscious.
Inner Phenomena delves into the unseen emotional currents that influence our experiences. The interplay of color and texture mimics the unpredictability of memory and perception, capturing the intangible depths of the human psyche.
The Self Unearthed reflects the tension between identity and transformation. The composition appears fractured yet fluid, mirroring the continuous evolution of self-awareness. The iridescent bacteria flickers and shifts, emphasizing the transient nature of existence—nothing remains static, everything is in motion.
Heybroek’s work defies categorization, existing at the intersection of art and science, the physical and the ephemeral. Each piece in the Primaeval Lens Series is not merely an object but an experience—one that changes with every encounter, much like the shifting nature of reality itself.”