About

This site shows examples of my work as a photojournalist and documentary photographer. It intends to show my photojournalistic approach to storytelling. As for me that’s what it is all about: telling stories.
Growing up abroad instilled me with a fascination for what makes us all the same yet different – what moves us and what gets us moving? Back in the Netherlands I studied Cultural Anthropology, then worked as a researcher for a television documentary company before ending up in photojournalism. To this day, I still have the same fascination. What ‘cross-pollination’ happens when certain political decisions or changes in society bring upheaval to existing cultures or structures? My personal projects are driven by my motivation to have a greater understanding of what certain things that I read or hear about in the news actually mean. By focusing on people living the stories we read or hear about, I try to make the abstract tangible. I thereby use a visual language that is without frills or scripted reality – it’s content is intended to be contemplative. I do not particularly aim at showing my personal opinion but much rather want to encourage the viewer to make their own reflections and draw their own conclusions.

I combine my own (long term documentary) stories and projects with work in assignment. I also teach photojournalism and documentary photography at the FOTOfactory and CREA (see Partners). On top, I train in photovoice, a participatory research method based on the use of photography. In 2014 I set up the PictureBridge Foundation. It uses photography and visual storytelling to make groups of people who would otherwise not so quickly meet each other exchange point of views and connect.

My work is published in different magazines and newspapers, including:

Volkskrant Magazine, La Vanguardia Magazine, De Groene Amsterdammer, NRC, Nieuwe Revu, ElleGirl, One World Magazine, Het Parool, Heineken, Doctors without Borders, Humanitas, Esta, FACTS, Chrismon, Marie Claire, Vrij Nederland, MOMEDIA, Marco Polo Travel Guides

Exhibitions, prizes & grants:

2019 – Grants for PROJECT STARTBLOK from AFK, Fonds ZOZ, Fonds1818, St. Gravin van Bylandt, Fonds Sluyterman van Loo, VluchtelingenWerk
2019 – Exhibition project Point of View in Historisch Museum Hoofddorp and Pier-K, Hoofddorp
2017 – Exhibition project Point of View in Nationaal Onderwijs Museum, Dordrecht
2017 – Exhibition Bij Ons Thuis project in Het Nutshuis, The Hague
2017 – Grants for Bij Ons Thuis participatory photography project from Fonds1818, KNR-PIN, Fonds Sluyterman-van Loo en Fonds RCOAK
2016 – Grants for next editions of Point of View participatory photography project from St. Doen, Jijmaakthetmee, gemeente Dordrecht, gemeente Haarlemmermeer
2016 – Filmpresentation ‘De Fluistertuin van Cees’, Cinetol
2016 – Exhibitions project Point of View in Elisabeth Weeshuis Museum, LekArt and UITmarkt
2015 – Grants for Point of View participatory photography project from St. Doen, VluchtelingenWerk, Janivo Stichting, Fundatie van den Santheuvel, Sobbe, MAOC Gravin van Bylandt Fonds, Cultuurfonds Culemborg en Stichting Elisabeth Weeshuis
2012 – The Refugee Jackpot travelling exhibition to Amsterdam, the Hague, Brussels, Ommen
2011 – Solo Exhibition at het GEMAK, the Hague, The Refugee Jackpot, The Refugee Jackpot travelling exhibition to Amersfoort, the Hague, Assen, Leidschedam, Leeuwarden
2010 – Grant from VluchtelingenWerk Nederland, Stichting Sem Presser Archief, Fonds Gravin van Bylandt Stichting for The Refugee Jackpot
2009 – Grant from NCDO, Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten for The Refugee Jackpot
2009 – Paris Photo: winner of the BMW Photo Prize with photo from the series Bend it like Beckham: about the first women’s soccerteam in the history of Afghanistan.
2007 – Solo Exhibition LUX Nijmegen with ‘Rape in East Congo’
2007 – Fotomuseum Den Haag, group exhibition
2007 – Zilveren Camera: winner of the 3rd prize in the Zilveren Camera Foreign Documentary series, with the series Lost Fatherland: about how a refugee family needs to return to Afghanistan after having lived six years in the Netherlands
2006 – Grant from NCDO for work in Afghanistan