Ilya van Marle (b. 1974, raised in the quiet embrace of the southern Netherlands) is a photographer and filmmaker, based in The Hague, whose work is, at it’s heart, an exploration of the human condition.

His path is not a straightforward one, but rather a winding journey that reflects a restless curiosity about how we see and how we might see better.

Originally trained in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology in Eindhoven, Ilya might have seemed destined for the world of circuits and code. Yet, beneath this technical exterior lay a deeper impulse: a yearning to return to the fundamental humanistic values instilled in him during his upbringing.

This impulse led him to the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, where he studied visual storytelling. A discipline that gifted him not only with skills, but with a new, more nuanced way of perceiving the world.

His vision was further refined by experiences in London and Treviso. At the London Film School, he encountered the rigors and poetry of cinema. At Fabrica, the creative heart of the Benetton Group, he found a rare mentorship under the legendary Oliviero Toscani. It was here that Ilya learned that images are more than pictures they are invitations. Invitations to feel, to reflect, and ultimately, to act.

In the early chapters of his career, Ilya worked as a documentary photographer for Amnesty International, traveling across the globe to capture the often-overlooked struggles for human rights. These experiences provided not only a canvas for his talent but also a deeper awareness of the fragility and resilience of the human condition. Over time, his lens shifted toward commissioned and fine art portrait photography and filmmaking, where he found new ways to probe the complexities of identity, power, and connection. Some of his works now reside in the esteemed National Portrait Gallery in London and private collections. A testament to the universality of his vision.