About

Lykel is a Dutch documentarian, cultural observer and storyteller. Rather than striving for perfection, her photography and writings center on ritual, identity and presence. She works slowly, often on analogue film, spending time with the people and places she photographs before ever picking up a camera.

There is a natural pull in her toward anthropology. She doesn't only study people - she senses the invisible laws that move beneath culture that shape how communities live and believe. It is a quiet, intuitive way of seeing, more felt than learned. Since a young age, Lykel has been interested in diverse cultures, religion, the way people live and feel and what she calls spirit. She has a background in journalism, media and photography and has always been drawn to telling stories.

Her work moves between culture and fashion, exploring ceremony, identity, connection and the stories carried through the body. In her opinion fashion is never trend. It is expression, identity and meaning passed between generations.

Culture doesn't only exist far away. Lykel finds it equally in the ceremonies of Southeast Asia as in the quiet traditions of the Netherlands. She works with NGOs, cultural organisations, editorial publications and ethical brands that share her commitment to honest, considered representation.