Kaat Stieber is a Dutch photographer whose work occupies the space between still life, allegory, and quiet comedy. Working out of her studio in the Netherlands, she builds elaborate, hand-crafted sets populated by birds that function as mirrors held up to human behavior.
The process is methodical and deeply intentional. Stieber photographs birds in nature, then brings them into constructed scenes of her own making: a tiered cake overtaken by tits, a Campbell's soup can attended by a duckling, a flamingo pulling gently at a tea bag labeled Time. The lighting is unmistakably Old Masters, dramatic, directional, painterly, set against props and backdrops that are resolutely, almost comedically, contemporary. The contrast is the point.
Each image carries a title and a small moral. Not didactic, but wry, the kind of observation that lands softly and stays. A kingfisher perched on a wire with a fish. Lemons stacked into a precarious tower. A bird winding electrical tape in a world that may not be paying attention. The messages are simple, but the construction behind them is anything but. Bird Day, one of her most intricate works, required over a hundred hours of photography and editing, with sixty-seven individually painted layers of detail.
Underlying all of it is something more personal. Stieber has spoken openly about the losses that shaped her recent work: her parents, a cancer diagnosis, and the slow process of finding her way back to herself. The result is a body of work that is genuinely funny and quietly consoling at the same time.
We asked Kaat to share with us some of her favorite pieces in this PROFOLIO.
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Instagram: www.instagram.com/kaat.stieber
Time
Stop forcing, start breathing.
This ibis knows that the perfect cup, and the perfect life, requires patience. By gently tugging the “Time” label, it reminds us to let things brew.
Not every string needs a hard pull.
Some just need a gentle touch and a lot of trust in the process.
Take your time.
Lemons
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
No matter how bitter the challenge, squeeze it for growth.
Rise above the sour moments and stand tall on top of it all.
Tape act
All rights reserved for nature. The birds are winding up.
on the tape:
All rights reserved for this piece of art, but wait... all rights are nature's own. Humanity may seek to preserve nature, but must first worry for itself; the wild will surely outlast us. the birds are winding up already
Bird Day
The little birds have discovered a secret feast: a giant cake covered in sweet treats. Fluttering and pecking, they savor every crumb with pure delight. For them, life is – quite literally – a piece of cake!
The little birds have discovered a secret feast: Fluttering and pecking, they savor every crumb with pure delight. For them, life is a piece of cake!
Over 100 hours of photography and editing
67 layers of cake, birds, feathers and more details handpainted
Duckweed
This work captures the bright colors and aesthetic of 1950s America, inspired by Pop Art and Andy Warhol. 'Duckweed, Just Add Water' uses the humble duckweed (a fast-growing 'superfood') to comment on our eating habits. It makes fun of the old promise of instant food and quick solutions from the Fifties, like instant mixes and frozen dinners. The artwork is a simple, colorful reflection on our constant desire for perfection and growth without much effort.
King Fishing
Just hanging out—like a true king of fishing
