Fine art photography by Mike Van Cleven
A moment frozen.A story still to be written.
Von Cleef
Von Cleef is the alter ego of Belgian photographer Mike Van Cleven. Commercially, he shoots and directs for brands around the world. Under his pseudonym he works on his personal projects: cinematic images in which something has just happened, or is about to. The viewer writes the rest.
Series
Ongoing
SALT
2022 — ongoingThe strength of a woman, held in a cinematic frame. Her story is not told yet. It is yours to imagine.
DEAR MOTEL
2016 — 2023Americana, off the interstate. Liminal rooms and parking lots, a peek into someone else's day, far far away.
PORTRAITS
SelectedIntimate portraiture in the tradition of iconic names in photography.
“Your eyes see a moment, frozen in time. Your mind hits the road and imagines a story.”
From Dear Motel
The book
Dear Motel
A coffee-table book that began unplanned, on a production trip through the American West. Motel rooms, pools and parking lots became a seven-year series, and a book printed in a small edition with two covers.
About
Mike Van Cleven
Born in Oostende, based near Antwerp. A full-time commercial photographer and director since 2006, with productions across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. He shoots digital and analog, mostly medium format.
Von Cleef is where the personal work lives: cinematic realism and intimate portraiture, in a tradition shared with iconic names in photography.
Collecting
Selected works are available as limited editions: Diasec-mounted, hand-framed, numbered and signed. Editions are small, mostly of nine.
Artworks are not sold online, on purpose. If a work speaks to you, send a note and we will talk about sizes, availability and where it could hang.
Enquire about a work