Harmen Meinsma is featured in the 11th annual Los Angeles Billboard Exhibition by The Billboard Creative (TBC)

Mon, May 5 - Fri, May 30  2025

2100 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Dutch photographer Harmen Meinsma is currently in Los Angeles, where his portrait of Cybersissy and BayBJane is featured in The Billboard Creative exhibition. The work will be on view from May 5-30, 2025 on a large billboard near MacArthur Park.

“It’s pretty surreal to see my work up on a billboard,” Meinsma says. “When I started photographing underground and queer communities, I never imagined this kind of visibility. It feels both personal and monumental.”

Harmen Meinsma’s photography celebrates individuality, authenticity, and unconventional beauty, capturing those who defy norms and embrace their identities. His portraits transform what society may see as “different” into something iconic, using bold colors, dramatic lighting, and a camp sensibility.

In Cybersissy & BayBJane, 2024, Meinsma continues his commitment to amplifying voices that challenge expectations. His work is both intimate and theatrical, set against vibrant, nostalgic backdrops that serve as visual time capsules. For Meinsma, photography is not just art—it is activism, a means of breaking stereotypes and empowering his subjects to take pride in their stories.

Credits

Photography: Harmen Meinsma @harmenmeinsma
Hair and Make-up: Ed Tijsen @edtijsen
Costume Design: Antoine Timmermans @timmermansantoine
Starring: Cybersissy & BayBJane @cybersissynl & @baybjane
Postproduction: Jan Daniel Wolters
Billboard Footage: Flyby Imagery

About Harmen Meinsma

Harmen Meinsma is a Dutch fine art photographer celebrated for his dedication to showcasing individuality and nonconformity. Growing up in a small village in Friesland, where he lived with his grandmother, Meinsma discovered photography as a teenager. The medium allowed him to explore unconventional beauty, creating a space for himself and his friends in the world.

Meinsma remains deeply inspired by those who challenge conventional norms. His work captures individuals whose expressions of identity are not merely preferences but reflect a deeper, more courageous authenticity. This emphasis on the unique, the flamboyant, and the unconventional has become a defining characteristic of his visual language. In his own words, “In my work, I direct the spotlight to misfits and the birds of paradise in this world and I turn them into icons.”

After completing his BA (Hons) in fine art photography at the Willem de Kooning Academy in 2017, Harmen Meinsma’s work gained recognition through international exhibitions. Notable showcases include Photoville (New York, USA) and Kunsthal Rotterdam (Rotterdam, Netherlands). His recent group exhibitions are the 2024–2025 Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize (National Portrait Gallery, London, UK) and the 2024 Head On Portrait Award (Bondi Pavilion Gallery, Sydney, Australia).

In addition to his exhibitions, Meinsma’s photography has been published in notable outlets such as NRC Magazine, FD Persoonlijk, Vogue Italia, and Volkskrant Magazine. Currently based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Harmen Meinsma continues to use his artistry to celebrate and elevate diversity, individuality, and the beauty of being unapologetically yourself.

About The Billboard Creative

The Billboard Creative (TBC) is proud to announce its 11th annual Los Angeles Billboard Exhibition, continuing its mission to transform the city’s billboards into a public art gallery. This year’s exhibition, launching in April 2025, will feature works from a diverse selection of international and local artists, placing contemporary art in the public sphere for millions to experience.

Now in its 11th year, The Billboard Creative has established itself as one of the longest-running public art initiatives in the country. By repurposing commercial billboards for artistic expression TBC fosters accessibility to art, creating unexpected and powerful moments of inspiration across the urban landscape.

“Art should be for everyone, not just for those who seek it out in galleries and museums,” said Adam Santelli, founder of The Billboard Creative. “This exhibition allows us to bring thought- provoking, beautiful, and challenging works to the streets, where they can be experienced by a broad and diverse audience.”

TBC’s initiative has garnered international recognition, transforming billboards into striking displays of artistic innovation. The exhibition will be mapped through the 2025 Map, allowing viewers to explore the locations and details of each work.

For more information on The Billboard Creative, the 2025 exhibition, and artist profiles, visit www.thebillboardcreative.com