By CLARISSA CHING and KHUAN SHERN LYN
Photo by ANDRIAN TAM
brats@thestar.com.my
HER photography can be defined as a screenshot of beauty and elegance. Under her xBellanotte brand, 19-year-old Isabella Tan has been making waves with her work in portraiture, fashion and conceptual photography.
She recently premiered her first solo exhibition, Papillon, at the Whitebox gallery in Publika, Kuala Lumpur.
Papillon, French for “butterfly”, is a metaphor for Isabella’s growth, both as an individual and as an artist. When asked about the exhibition she said, “The theme behind most of the photos here is rebirth and freedom. It’s about becoming something more beautiful and spreading your wings.”
How did you find your passion in photography?
Art has always been my passion; I was into painting, sculpting and drawing; but it wasn’t until I got a compact camera for my birthday that I realized how much I loved capturing everything on screen. When I got my first DSLR, portraiture became one of my key focuses in photography. I guess I found my passion about two years back and have never stopped taking photos since.
What type of photography is your favourite and why?
Conceptual photography, mainly because there are no rules, no limits. Basically, all you need to do is create art and it can be about anything and everything.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
From the world around me. Also, since we are such an online, social media-influenced generation, I’ve come across a lot of really talented photographers from all over the world online. I get my inspiration from their work and their stories.
What drives you to push yourself?
What doesn’t (laughs)? I’m kidding. I believe that motivation is a key factor when it comes to your passions, especially when it is artistic because art always feels like a sort of competition. As long as you remember that you’re only competing with yourself, and that the only way to keep yourself pushing forward is continue to be inspired. Inspiration and motivation fuels passion, and passion fuels everything else.
How has your photography evolved from when you first started?
It evolved from making the photo beautiful, as opposed to just the person being beautiful.
Describe your most memorable photoshoot:
It was when a friend had come over to my house to hang out. I said, “Hey I just got a new camera, let’s go put on makeup, take photos and have some fun”. I then took some fun portrait photos and posted them on Facebook after post-editing. Later, she sent me a message saying that she was in tears because it was the first time that she had ever felt beautiful. Although she was a really pretty girl, she battled weight and self-esteem issues. She even developed eating problems once. That was the moment I decided that I wanted to do photography for the rest of my life so I can inspire others and allow them to realize the beauty in themselves and around them.
What is the weirdest place that you’ve carried out a photoshoot in?
I’d say the weirdest place I’ve ever done a photoshoot in is in my tiny bathroom. A girl came up to me and said, “I really want a few portrait shots of myself,” and I was like, “Okay”. So, I dumped her in the bathtub and I took photos of her (laughs). That was a pretty weird photoshoot and it was a pretty weird experience, but the photos came out great so it was worth it.
Future hopes for xBellanotte?
I’m heading off for university soon – New York University, Tisch School of the Arts – and hopefully, I can start building my name there. As for my future dreams, I want to have my own production company, but we will see how that goes. Until then, I’ll just take photos and continue to take photos. That’s all for me.
Discover Isabella Tan’s work at facebook.com/xbellanotte.photography.
Tell us what you think!