Photographer based in Brooklyn, NY
Nathalie Basoski, portrait of the photographer, by Felix Wong
Tell us about yourself, what's your background?
I grew up between the Netherlands and Macedonia. My Dutch side was raised on order, my Macedonian side on unpredictability, and I think that's shaped how I move through the world: comfortable holding two ways of seeing at once. Moving between countries as a child, before I had the language for either place, taught me to watch first. That habit never left.
In Macedonia, I grew up on a lake, clear water, mountains standing around it like an audience. It's hard to turn your back on something that beautiful. But what draws me now is what's just outside the frame of that view, the unobvious things sitting alongside it.
A Neighbor 2023 45" x 35" Sublimation print on canvas, jute
“My new exploration is movement. The work has always lived in a traditional physical form, stretched on bars like paintings, just without paint. Lately, I've been finding ways to make it move. I can't say much more yet, but it's been fun.”
Leave Before You Arrive, 2026, sublimation print on canvas, 26x36". Photo by artist
What are you currently working on and where did the inspiration for it come from?
My new exploration is movement. The work has always lived in a traditional physical form, stretched on bars like paintings, just without paint. Lately, I've been finding ways to make it move. I can't say much more yet, but it's been fun.
A Kind Thought 2026 40" x 48" Sublimation print on canvas and silk organza, lace, polyester, linen, spray paint
Innovation does not only happen in the field of technology, how does it occur within your practice?
I try never to get stuck in one approach. After a piece I feel good about, I push myself to reinvent, just on a small scale. It's probably not obvious to anyone looking at the work. But I know it's there. It's how I keep myself out of a creative comfort zone.
Left: Debar Afternoon 2026 48" x 48" Sublimation print on canvas and silk organza, raw silk, cotton and used dropcloth. Right: Inside Out 2026 48" x 32" Dyed linen, cotton, polyester, sublimation print on canvas
Where do ideas start for you?
A little of everything, really. The practice starts in Macedonia, photographing, capturing, harvesting visuals. Back in New York, I develop and scan, which often takes months. Then I print onto fabric: canvas, silk, denim. That's the timeline in broad strokes. But really, it comes down to living a life full of experiences and still showing up at the studio every day.
Outside In (detail) 2026 48" x 32" Silk organza, canvas, cotton and polyester
How do you make your work, does it start with a sketch?
I don't sketch. Never have. It starts with a small idea that grows once I start sewing. Most of the time I don't know what I'm making until it's made, and that's half the fun. Surprising myself is the thrill I'm chasing.
Work in progress, photo by Nikia Freyermuth
My style is my taste. It's my pride, something I've been building my whole life and will keep building. Sometimes it reads minimalist, other times full chaos maximalist. But the real drivers are color and composition. I push myself hardest there, never let it be easy. I like combining colors I wouldn't have thought could sit together. When it works, it's an amazing feeling.
A little of everything, really. The practice starts in Macedonia, photographing, capturing, harvesting visuals. Back in New York, I develop and scan, which often takes months. Then I print onto fabric: canvas, silk, denim. That's the timeline in broad strokes. But really, it comes down to living a life full of experiences and still showing up at the studio every day.
Many artists live by their routines and rituals, what does yours look like?
I notice that when I get to the studio, I sit down and procrastinate for a while. I'm not proud of it, but it happens every time, so I've decided it's part of the process. I try not to judge myself for it. If I'm only in the studio four hours that day, the last ninety minutes are usually my most productive. So I try to treat it like a day job: at least eight hours, because that's how I actually get the work done.
Photos by Justin Dodd.
Who are your biggest influences?
Every piece of art I've seen in person has stayed with me somehow. Online, I follow a handful of artists closely. Lawrence Calver, the British textile artist, never fails to inspire me the moment I look at his work. Beyond that, any artist using textile in a creative way, or printing a photograph on a new material, always excites me.
As a young photographer, discovering William Eggleston and Alex Webb changed my work almost immediately, and they've remained my biggest influences since.
Left: Let the Grass Grow. Right: Skala, 2025, sublimation print on canvas, rayon, 60x38"
Installation view of Let the Grass Grow
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
When I got into Pratt Institute, we got a poster that said “Be true to your work and your work will be true to you.” At the moment, I don't think I fully understood what being true to your work meant, but I often think about it now as I am in the studio.
What is the best advice you would give to other artists?
Spend time in your studio, or whatever place/space you create in, even when you're not inspired. You can't make work if you don't surround yourself with the tools. It's the same advice I give photographers: always have a camera on you. You can't take great photos without it. Once I started carrying mine everywhere, my work improved tremendously. Even somewhere you think isn't worth photographing, having the camera on you changes how you see. You end up shooting more, naturally.
Photo by Leslie Dougrou
Stay up to date with Nathalie Basoski
Website basoski.com
Instagram @nathaliebasoski