THAIS VERHASSELT
ART & HERITAGE PHOTOGRAPHER
'Dare to Reuse'
The project, "Dare to Reuse!" aims to highlight the importance of sustainability and the creative reuse of materials. All products, equipment, and materials featured in the 2025 promotional calendar are sourced from recycled or discarded items, showcasing their potential for repurposing. Through a series of evocative photographs taken over two days at the warehouse in Marseille, the charity board members posed semi-nude or in suggestive arrangements, creatively incorporating second-purpose materials and household goods. Each month of the calendar not only celebrates the aesthetic value of these objects but also includes educational "How to Reuse" sheets, providing actionable tips to inspire sustainable practices.​
Photograph by Thais Verhasselt
Maritime heritage photographic project
This project was undertaken in February 2024, I captured the Portsmouth Historic Quarter (Dockyard). Showcasing the historical and maritime heritage of Portsmouth and Priddy’s Hard, the project highlighted key elements such as maritime activity, architectural details, and conservation efforts. Collaborating with the BH4 boats team, the photos featured boats in various states—on the pontoon, in the docks, and undergoing maintenance. This project visually celebrated PHQT’s rich maritime and historical legacy focusing on historical signage and particular features like the Boathouse 4's gantry cranes or the Old pay office.
Photograph by Thais Verhasselt
Photograph by Chloe Hashemi
Creating Futures: Arts, Heritage and Community
The exhibition brought back to life historical archive material, showcasing material from contemporary artists, including artwork, memorabilia, photography and film. I collaborated with the college and visual artists over a period of 3 years, during which students on the Prince's Trust Team programme engaged through a series of creative workshops. The different contributions were curated into a group exhibition in October 2023.
Book published by Carnegie Publishing Ltd
My interest in the Victorian & Edwardian eras led me to contact the personal curator working on the project for already 2 years. I took photographs of the family business's collections and digitise their photo archive. 2023 marked the bicentenary of George Farmiloe & Sons Ltd, the photographs taken served as illustrations to a book tracing the history of this British buildings' supply company.
Photograph by Thaïs Verhasselt
Hidden gun III
I met Amanda at Aspex Portsmouth in 2022, at the Platform Graduate Award organised by the CVAN (Contemporary Visual Arts Network England). We were both shortlisted by the curator amongst 10 other newly graduates from different universities across the South East. Amanda is drawn to textile processes employing rust printing, eco-dyeing and resist dyeing to investigate ideas of identity and nationalism. Her work provides metaphorical readings and reflections on the human impact of war.
Photograph by Thaïs Verhasselt
A summer day in Port-de-Bouc
In 2021, I was commissioned to take photographs of Port-de-Bouc (South of France) for an environmental urban development proposal. In the 1880s, with the construction of the Canal de Caronte, the city asserts its industrial and maritime vocation. In the recent years, the city has undertaken a series of actions, designed to achieve environmental requirements and enhance the development of an attractive ecosystem for green innovation.
Photograph by Thaïs Verhasselt