While most artists paint clouds, Berndnaut Smilde makes them.
Using a precise mix of fog machines, humidity, and lighting, the Dutch artist conjures ghostly clouds inside rooms.
Real, floating vapor suspended in time and space. His surreal series, aptly titled Nimbus, transforms abandoned churches and sterile hallways into fleeting dreamscapes.
The magic? Each cloud lasts only seconds before it vanishes. But in that breathless moment, it’s pure poetry: soft, luminous, and entirely out of place.
Smilde’s work captures the impossible. A weather phenomenon with a shelf life of mere seconds, but an emotional weight that lingers much longer.
Turns out, you can bottle a cloud. You just need to let it go immediately after.
See more on Smilde’s website.
Images © Copyright Berndnaut Smilde.
