Why Work with Liza Angèle
Liza Angèle Van der Stock leads Private Expeditions, adventurous journeys that she documents through her lens and turns into museum-grade, one-of-one photographic wall art for private collections or company spaces.
She also partners with select quiet luxury hotels, creating photographic wall art and guest experiences that generate cultural value and revenue.
Her work is shaped by years of photographing cultures, conservation, and luxury destinations worldwide. Each collaboration directly supports conservation and community projects.
LIZA ANGELE
Doctor in Arts (PhD, Visual Storytelling) and fine-art photographer who focuses on women, culture, and the worlds they inhabit.
Her photographic work began during her Master of Science in Sociology, where she collaborated with the Maasai in Tanzania on community-led storytelling, and evolved through her Doctorate at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Antwerp, creating in-community exhibitions that return portraits to the women portrayed.
She now brings everything she learned through her research into her own practice, creating fine-art photographic wall pieces that transform travel memories into art for private collectors, while continuing to photograph women around the world as part of her ongoing project, Legacy Atlas.
Academic & Artistic Foundations
Her journey began with a fascination for Visual Storytelling, which led her to earn:
A PhD in Photography (University of Antwerp & Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp)
A Master’s in Photography (KASK School of Arts, Ghent – cum laude)
A Master’s in Sociology (University of Ghent – magna cum laude)
Her background ensures each photograph carries depth, exclusivity, and emotional power.
Finding Stories Worth Telling
My work is intentional, created to hold emotion with clarity and visual strength.
Whether it lives in a collector’s home or becomes part of a guest’s private moment in a hotel suite, each piece is meant to anchor memory, emotion, and presence, not just be seen, but felt over time.
A Personal Note
I dedicate all of my work to my mother, who brought me on most of her field trips as an anthropologist.
She taught me curiosity and resilience, two things I carry with me every day.
I miss her daily.
PhD in Arts (2017-2021, University of Antwerp & Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp)
Master of Arts Photography - Documentary specialization (2015-2016, KASK School of Arts Ghent, cum laude)
Master of Science in Sociology - Major in Conflict and Development in a Global World (2012-2015, University of Ghent, magma cum laude)
Dr. Van der Stock has a Master’s degree in Photography and Sociology.
For her doctorate, she researched the use of photography to create understanding and rapport among groups with high levels of prejudice against each other.
Next, she developed her own photographic method for visual storytelling as part of her PhD dissertation.
Dr. Van der Stock’s photographic method focused on communicating emotions and creating a deep understanding among transgender women in Mumbai (India) and students. High levels of stigmatization prevent transgender women from participating in mainstream society and attending college/university.
Education
PhD in Arts (2017-2021, University of Antwerp & Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp)
Master of Arts Photography - Documentary specialization (2015-2016, KASK School of Arts Ghent, cum laude)
Master of Science in Sociology - Major in Conflict and Development in a Global World (2012-2015, University of Ghent, magma cum laude)
Awards
3rd Place at 2015 Sony World Photography for Paradise Lu$t (People category - Professional Competition)
Winner of the 2014 Freedom to Love Award for Sisters! Brothers!
Winner of Pitch your photography project for Sisters! Brothers! (Donkere Kamer Rotterdam #5, 2015)
Winner of Pitch your photography project for Change Within (Donkere Kamer Antwerp #1, 2016)
Finalist of the Digital Manipulation & College competition of the 2018 Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Zoya and Close Encounters
Exhibitions
BEYOND THE FANTASY
Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition, London, UK (24 Apr − 10 May 2015, World Photography Organisation)
TWENS, Leuven, Belgium (13−28 Sep 2013, Unexposed)
IN THE SHADOW OF PARADISE
Freedom to Love, London, UK (12−17 Jan 2015, Accademia Apulia UK)
Gafodi f/50, Gavere, Belgium (4−20 June 2016, Gafodi)
BRIDGING WORLDS
Trademarks, Hasselt, Belgium (1 Oct 2016 – 8 Jan 2017, Stadstriënnale Hasselt-Genk)
KASK Graduation 2016, Ghent, Belgium (24–28 June 2016, KASK School of Arts)
Onderweg, Leuven, Belgium (5 Sep 2015, pop-up exhibition with photographs sold to benefit the UN Refugee Agency)
RESILIENCE AMONGST THE RUBBISH
Around the World with Female Photojournalists, Brussels, Belgium (8 May – 30 June 2019, Géopolis)
Multiple series
Ecce Homo, Antwerp, Belgium (17 Nov 2017 − 25 Feb 2018, Geukens & De Vil)
My Me, Antwerp, Belgium (Aug 2018, Boysproject)
Women and Violence, Antwerp, Belgium (4−5 Oct 2018, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp)
