A Journey Through Lens and Heritage: Jensy Franco on Finding Beauty Amidst Duality 

Venezuelan-born, Netherlands-based photographer Jensy Franco opens up to Cluster London about her introspective creative journey—a path marked by cultural duality, personal discovery, and artistic freedom.

Straddling two worlds, Franco’s photography delves into her Venezuelan roots while embracing her Dutch environment, offering a sense of beauty that is both profound and quietly transformative. From self-portraits that visualise her inner world to delicate floral symbolism that reflects her experiences, Franco’s work is a testament to resilience and authenticity.

Hi Jensy! Being from Venezuela and now based in the Netherlands, how have your cultural backgrounds influenced your perspective and subjects in photography?

This is an interesting and important question. A question I have asked myself many times and still do not know the exact answer to. I emigrated to the Netherlands thirty years ago, at the age of seven. Like so many immigrants, I have struggled to find a sense of belonging. Never feeling Dutch or Venezuelan enough. Stuck between two worlds. Although I adapted quickly to the Dutch customs and mentality, deep inside I am still Venezuelan. My cultural background, my heritage, is not that easy to erase, it is my foundation. It is reflected in the food I love to eat, the music I listen to, and the Venezuelan traditions passed on to me by my mother and grandmother. I think in Dutch and I feel in Spanish, I do not know how to explain it. When it comes to photography, I feel that my cultural background is still open for further exploration. 

You mentioned your personal project Amor Fati began after a significant health diagnosis. Can you elaborate on how this experience shaped your work?

Before the diagnosis I was struggling to find my creative voice. It was my diagnosis that pushed me in the right direction. For the first time in many years, I gave myself permission to create and experiment without being overly critical and without limitations. I was dealing with so many changes, physically, mentally, and emotionally so I tried not to put more pressure on myself when it came to my creative process. This allowed me to take a more intuitive approach to my work and create images that are more in alignment with my inner self and the way I experience the world around me. Work that was hiding deep within. It became clear to me that in order to grow as an artist I needed to let go of control and trust my creative process. In a way the diagnosis also forced me to slow down and pay more attention to my surroundings. 

In your exploration of floriography, how do you interpret the meanings of different flowers in relation to your own experiences or emotions?

It was never a conscious choice to integrate flowers in my work to symbolise my own experiences and emotions. It happened naturally, without me even realising it. I think that I started integrating flowers in my work to explore themes like beauty and fragility. After I came across the concept of floriography it suddenly made sense. I believe that on a subconscious level I have been using flowers to digest and symbolise major life events, personal experiences and emotions associated with those experiences. In my case, resilience, acceptance, vulnerability, and transformation. I am still in the early stages of my flower studies and will passionately continue exploring the symbolism and meaning of specific flowers within my own work.