JADE | HOKSBERGEN

 
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Jade Hoksbergen’s underwater photography marks her out as one of the most talented ocean image-makers operating today. Jade combines professional dive skills, with the creativity of a painter and the keen eye of a naturalist. Her pictures are regularly recognised in the leading photographic competitions, with highlights including: the Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year in 2023 and the Ocean Photographer of the Year runner-up in 2024. In a world full of images, Jade consistently finds a way to stand out, with a particular skill for showcasing the more discreet wildlife of the underwater world.

Of French-Taiwanese descent, Jade spent most of her childhood in the Philippines. It was there, at just 9 years old, that she embarked on her first scuba dive and a lifelong passion for the ocean began. By 20 years old, she was working as a Divemaster on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, carefully honing her skill at finding marine life. It was at this time that she first started underwater photography, finally able to properly showcase the elusive creatures of the sea - some of which had never been photographed in their environment in Saint Lucia before.

Displaying a precocious skillset, Jade rapidly rose up through the ranks of underwater photography and by 25 years old had already co-authored two books: Black is the New Blue Vol. II (2019), a book featuring images taken on Blackwater dives by some of the world’s most renowned blackwater photographers; and the Guide to Cebu (2019). The Guide to Cebu was a project to document the waters around Cebu, Phillippines with her husband and frequent co-collaborator, Henley Spiers. It remains the pre-eminent book on diving the island on which Jade grew-up.

As well as books, Jade’s pictures and words are regularly published in the like of New Scientist (UK), Plongez! Magazine (France), Scuba Diver (ANZ), EZ Dive Magazine (Taiwan) and Oceanographic Magazine (UK).

Jade has established herself as a specialist in creating fine art underwater imagery for high-end luxury resorts including COMO Hotels and Resorts, and Six Senses. She was invited to be a speaker at ADEX Singapore and Beijing, and her image was used for the official poster for ADEX Singapore 2023. Equally at ease both behind and in-front of the camera, pictures of and by Jade have adorned numerous book and magazine covers.

from left to right: Jade’s image of an anemone fish on the cover of Scuba Diver ANZ issue 22 (2020); Jade’s winning image “Midnight Bus” on the cover of MontPhoto’s Inspirats Per La Natura (2025); and Jade’s winning image of a pink juvenile candy crab on the cover of Ocean Photographer of the Year coffee table book (2025).

In 2020, Jade became the youngest photographer to be featured in the Blancpain Editions Fifty Fathoms, a collection featuring 50 of the world’s top ocean explorers and underwater photographers. Since then, she has been a proud Friend of the Brand. In 2024, she designed a custom SWATCH for Blancpain, and in 2025 she played a role in the development and release of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 5007.

“To shape the visual identity of the 5007, Blancpain drew inspiration from Jade Hoksbergen’s aesthetic approach. Her marine imager, characterised by soft tones and painterly composition, influenced both the design and communication teams. Her full of light work helped guide the chromatic choices for the watches — notably the mother-of-pearl dials — as well as the inspirational narrative for the marketing campaign celebrating overall visual direction of the launch, from the film to product and lifestyle photography.

First featured in the Fifty Fathoms edition in 2020, Jade has since maintained a close relationship with Blancpain. Her poetic and artistic perspective has enriched the DNA of these new models.”
— Blancpain, Lettres du Brassus #25

Although her expertise crosses many disciplines, at heart Jade is an artist, and it is her creative vision which most clearly defines her. Painting prolifically since her teenage years, she has been working on a series of ocean-inspired artworks for the last decade which brings together joint influences of expressionism, street art, and the underwater world.

AWARDS | Photography

 
 

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