Studio Sanko is the artistic practice of Julia Elisabeth van Emmerik, a visual artist whose work explores the intersection of architecture, image, and spatial experience. Through her visual work she investigates the relationship between people, atmosphere, and the spaces they inhabit.
She grew up between Finland and the Netherlands, two landscapes that differ greatly from one another. In Finland she experienced phenomena such as the midnight sun, a period during summer when the sun barely sets. Experiences like these made her aware of how light, nature, and environment influence the way people perceive and experience a place.
From a young age she developed an interest in photography as a way of capturing light, atmosphere, and fleeting moments. Through photographing landscapes and architecture, she became increasingly fascinated by the way spaces can evoke emotions and carry narratives.
Later studying cinema, specialising in production design. In film, the design of space plays a crucial role: the way sets, materials, color, and light are used can shape the emotional tone of a scene and support a narrative. This experience provided her with a deep understanding of how spatial composition can influence perception and storytelling.
During her studies she also worked at an interior construction company, where she became involved in the process of designing and building spaces. This experience introduced her to the physical and material aspects of spatial creation and expanded her understanding of how ideas can translate into built environments.
Over time her interest shifted toward the psychology of space. She began asking questions such as: How does a space influence the way we feel? How can light, materials, and proportions create a particular atmosphere? And how can a place develop its own identity or sense of presence?
These questions deepened further during her Master’s in Interior Architecture, where she explored the parallels between cinema and architecture and discovered the power of storytelling within spatial design. This exploration ultimately led to her current practice.
Building on this background, her practice takes form primarily through visual art. Drawing from architectural and cinematic thinking, she creates artworks that investigate how atmosphere, perception, and narrative emerge from the relationship between people and their surroundings. Working through different media and forms of artistic research, her visual practice explores space not only as a physical condition, but as an emotional and experiential one. Through her work she uses visual art as a way to study and reveal the subtle qualities that shape how a place is felt, remembered, and understood.