If there is one expression that comes to mind when looking at the lively images of Jolene Adelaar's (b. 1997, The Netherlands) photographic project Runway of Life, it would probably be one that encapsulates the nature of what we've been sorely missing and craving in the midst of the global pandemic: wholesomeness. Light-hearted in spirit and unaffected in its attitude, Adelaar manages to imbue in her fashion photography a touch of humour and relatability, all the while calling to question concepts of performativity and authenticity in the documentary genre, from which she draws much of her inspiration. In Adelaar's runway of life, anyone can be a model, and everyone is.
Turning uncertainty and doubt into visual poetry is what fiction-based artist Josje van Stekelenburg (b. 1995, The Netherlands) does best. Her photographs play with cryptic yet open-ended symbolism, and she draws from a wide range of historical and philosophical sources to create imagery that explores the liminal space between visual expectation and reality. Cinematic devices drawn from the genres of horror and the psychological thriller pervade in her work, manifesting in expressive images that examine the human propensity to "push random information into chronological order". Van Stekelenburg recently spoke to GUP New about the inspiration and working process behind her project Apotheosis / Apophenia.
For her graduation project Der Himmel Auf Erden, photographer Naomi Kok took a deep dive into her family's personal history to examine the mechanisms of transgenerational trauma, and the long-lasting repercussions of repressing a family secret long deemed too shameful to confront. In the form of an intimate audiovisual experience, Kok's project combines ample archival material with family portraiture, documentary photography and recorded conversations, to paint a compelling picture of a family coming to terms with the legacy of a decades long burden.
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In line with his humanistic, intimate approach to documentary photography, Hossein Fardinfard photographed marginalized communities on the rural outskirts of Georgia, giving pictorial form to the unique lived experiences of the displaced communities he has long felt an affinity toward, resulting in two photographic series: Blackout, and A Piece of Peace. GUP New recently had the pleasure of speaking to Fardinfard about his transformative journey in the photographic world.
Hair is, and has long been, an important aspect of identity for many, with its historic significance varying across a myriad cultures. We can endlessly manipulate it, shape it, cut it, collect it, preserve it, and it can symbolize many things: from health, wealth and status to a rebellion against conformity. Past the individual, our hair is a source of our heritage, connecting us to the many that have come before us: it is from this root that visual artist Aurélie Sorriaux's project In Search of My Curls develops, as she, following the archive tradition, delved into her family's visual and written historical artifacts in pursuit of traces of herself, and the heritage that came with her curly hair.
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Who are we, without our memories? How much does our ability to recall the past shape our present, and future identity? If an object or a moment is no longer sustained by the memory of the living, does it cease to exist? These are but a few of the questions that form the core of American photographer Angela Lidderdale's artistic practice. Lidderdale's pictorial investigations into everyday, banal objects seek to tease our instincts for association, and to question our role in attaching value to the objects of our surroundings.
Dora Lionstone's cosmic imagery is activated by the power of daydreaming, a habit she found herself increasingly drawn towards as the pandemic-stricken world began its gradual lockdown. To enter the celestial dreamscapes of Lionstone's latest project, Cosmic Stream, is to momentarily indulge in an escape from the banalities of the everyday world: forms of unidentifiable origin, beautiful in their elementary nature, drift through an unnamable landscape, free from the shackles of conventional interpretations.
We prepared special podcasts to present the nominees of GUP New Dutch Photography Talent of the Year Award 2021: Chantal Elisabeth Ariëns, Dienie Brouwer, Iris Haverkamp Begemann, Marijn Fidder, and Parisa Aminolahi.
We prepared special podcasts to present the nominees of GUP New Dutch Photography Talent of the Year Award 2021.
From the 100 talents, an expert jury composed by Anna Elisabeth Kruyswijk, Erik Vroons, Judith Zilversmit, Justine Tjallinks, Roy Kahmann and Gregor Vos selected five nominees - Chantal Elisabeth Ariëns, Dienie Brouwer, Iris Haverkamp Begemann, Marijn Fidder, and Parisa Aminolahi.
We prepared special podcasts to present the nominees of GUP New Dutch Photography Talent of the Year Award 2021.
From the 100 talents, an expert jury composed by Anna Elisabeth Kruyswijk (Lauwer Art), Erik Vroons (GUP), Judith Zilversmit (Het Parool), Justine Tjallinks (fine art photographer), Roy Kahmann (Kahmann Gallery) and Gregor Vos (Brinkhof) selected five nominees - Chantal Elisabeth Ariëns, Dienie Brouwer, Iris Haverkamp Begemann, Marijn Fidder, and Parisa Aminolahi.
We prepared special podcasts to present the nominees of GUP New Dutch Photography Talent of the Year Award 2021.
From the 100 talents, an expert jury composed by Anna Elisabeth Kruyswijk (Lauwer Art), Erik Vroons (GUP), Judith Zilversmit (Het Parool), Justine Tjallinks (fine art photographer), Roy Kahmann (Kahmann Gallery) and Gregor Vos (Brinkhof) selected five nominees - Chantal Elisabeth Ariëns, Dienie Brouwer, Iris Haverkamp Begemann, Marijn Fidder, and Parisa Aminolahi.
We prepared special podcasts to present the nominees of GUP New Dutch Photography Talent of the Year Award 2021. From the 100 talents, an expert jury selected five nominees and one winner: Parisa Aminolahi.
As underlined by the Amsterdam based photographer, Jakob van Vliet (b. 1982, The Netherlands): first comes the idea, then follows the feeling and last the photograph – followed by a narrative of some kind. In an interview with GUP, he talks about his experience of photographing an immense trash mountain in Indonesia and the harsh local working conditions.
Danillo Bighi's project ‘Sacolé’ looks at one of those encounters that Bighi remembers from his childhood spent in Rio de Janeiro. Bighi recalls, the extremely hot summer days, when him and his friends used to play on the square in front of the house. In order to cool down a little they often treated themselves with Sacolé - a sweet ice cream, made out of frozen fruit juice and sold all across the city. On those hot, sunny days, Sacolé is something everyone from a child to an adult dreams of, thirsty for a cold refreshment.
Dana Ruijs (b. 1995, The Netherlands) is a socially involved photographer, interested in documenting unique and personal stories. In her long-term, photographic observations, Ruijs first establishes a tight bond with the subject, after which she creates a narrative that is a mix of facts and personal experiences.
In her series ‘Self-similarity’ the Amsterdam based photographer Olga Permiakova (b. 1988, Ukraine) explores the process of reduplication, by combining two of her recurring fascinations; visual illusions and plants.
In his extensive documentary project, which resulted in a publication, the Dutch photographer Ton Groot Haar (b. 1957) tells a story of three brothers from Sanski Most in Bosnia. After the outbreak of the Bosnian War and the resulting death of Ismet - the oldest brother - Kuburić family is forced to flee the country and seek asylum in The Netherlands.
In an interview with GUP, Luc van Stralendorff (b. 1990, The Netherlands) talks about his experience with portraiture and his project about kids with albinism in Nepal.
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The series 1 1/2 Life by Vassilis Triantis (b. 1975, Greece) was created during the lockdown in Amsterdam, caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using his background in Medical Biology and an incredible eye for details and light, Triantis approaches the topic from multiple positions. His photographs talk about the science behind the virus as well as the social, economic, and political consequences we all experienced during the past few months.
In the series ‘Trees by Bosgra’, Johannes Bosgra (b. 1979, The Netherlands) reflects on his youth and family history by photographing trees, planted and grown by his ancestors. Since he can recall, looking at nature moved him into the world of dreams and imagination. By tracing the trees planted by his late family members, Bosgra reconnects with his childhood memories.
PORTFOLIO - ANNA LENARTOWSKA
In her works, Anna Lenartowska (b. 1984, Poland) touches on the concept of loss. Based on her own human condition, which can be characterized by experiences of anxiety, nostalgia, and solitude, she explores human existence, meanwhile providing a mirror to our own consciousness too.
Marzena Kwintera (b. 1980) is a Polish photographer living and working in The Hague, the Netherlands, since 2004. She particularly operates in the fashion domain and her photographs are primarily black and white - highlighted with natural light. In her series ‘Lost in Dreams’, Kwintera portrays a woman in her dreams, expressing both the beauty and fear through the model’s body language; aspects that ultimately surround this nightly process. Additionally, the series addresses womanhood and celebrates the beauty of a female body.
Lina Geoushy (b. 1990, Egypt) focuses on telling stories that question the public's perception of the prevailing power of patriarchy. In her ongoing project ‘Breadwinners’, she records female housekeepers who are overlooked and relegated to the fringes of Egyptian society. The series sheds light on the living conditions of housekeepers employed in homes in Cairo. Additionally, it reflects on self-education and investigates the impact of Egyptian culture and traditions on these women's lives.
When Lidewij Mulder (b.1995, the Netherlands) turned 18, she moved from Groningen to Amsterdam. In her hometown, she always felt secure and safe when surrounded by her family. But after her move to the capital city she felt immensely homesick. Her latest project ‘For Whom I Love’ is an investigation into the acceptance of such a dramatic change in the life of a young adult. The work that she featured in GUP New 2020 captures the ambiguity of her feelings related to the process of moving away from the old security and youthful childhood.
In an interview with GUP, Mulder talks about her family and approach to photography.
Joep Hijwegen (b. 1994, the Netherlands) focuses on candid street photography that is infused with storytelling. His images might be interpreted as a celebration of the fantasy a street photographer can live in for a while. These images aren't really how we experience the world but how we'd ideally like it to be.
In an interview with GUP, Hijwegen reveals intriguing details about his approach to street photography and his latest projects.
In a conversation with GUP, Laila Mubarak (b. 1979, the Netherlands) talks about portrait photography and her latest series ‘Breathing his Space’, in which she explores the human instinct to fight. Specifically, the point of focus is on mental showdown, intimacy, compassion and surrender.
The work of Sevilay Maria contests the static binary male-female classification. Her subjects seem to not fit any narrow definition of ‘gender’. In her project #MYOWNGENDER, she uses the 19th century collodion wet-plating technique to illuminate intimate and vulnerable portraits of her non-binary subjects. Her latest project, ‘Quarantine’, explores the concepts of isolation and loneliness through body language and the medium of photography.
Vinny Vlemmix (b. 1998, the Netherlands) is currently studying at the Fotoacademie in Amsterdam. His photographs are diaristic, capturing Vlemmix’s wanders around in the Netherlands, functioning as a reflection of his life experiences and the era he currently lives in.
In Corine Aalvanger's latest project ‘Don’t Mention the War’, she explores the history of Kamp Erika near Ommen, the Netherlands. Isolated in the woods during the early 1920s, one of the so called “Starcamps” of the theosophical movement was based there. Spiritual leader Jiddu Krishnamurti shared his vision about people and faith and people all over the world came to listen to his ideas. However, during the World War 2, the terrain of the Starcamp was occupied by the Germans who used it as a concentration camp. Now, in spring and summer, it changes into a holiday park whereas during the winter it functions as an asylum seekers’ centre where refugees stay and wait for their permit. In an interview with GUP, Aalvanger shares intriguing details about her project.
Vanja Dimitrova (b. 1974, Macedonia) is an Amsterdam-based photographer. She has studied Audio Visual Arts at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie and did her Master of Fine Arts at the Sandberg Institute. Due to her background in film and video, her photographs have a cinematic feel regardless of whether they are staged or documentary snapshots. In her series ‘Dreamers and Drowners’, Dimitrova captures the everyday life of various children and teenagers in order to create a portrait of a generation that is growing up in the 21st century.
Alex Blanco is a photographer, who currently resides in The Hague (NL). Interested in creating deeply personal projects, sometimes even uncomfortable for the viewer, Blanco makes sure that each of her series resonates with her past and directly interacts with her present. Her latest series ‘Meat, Fish and Aubergine Caviar’, is a project about her parents’ life in Odessa, Ukraine. The city on the Black Sea coast that traditionally has had everything in abundance: fish, sun, exposed flesh and of course... delicious aubergine caviar.
In an interview with GUP, Blanco reveals the intriguing details behind her project and Odessa.
Rosemary Dekker’s (b. 1992, the Netherlands) photography focuses on capturing emotions and storytelling with special attention to close relationships. Dekker’s urgency derives from her own strong bond with her mother. She concentrates on the theme of intimacy within the family and particularly, the relationship between a mother and a child.
Uncertainty is the central theme in the work of Yael Laroes (b. 1992, the Netherlands). Her photographic work is inspired by surrealism, has raw visuals and is stripped from any comfort whatsoever. In her graduation series ‘Dense’, she studies the relationship between physical appearance and shame. More specifically, how much pressure Western society places on individuals in order to live up to some ideal of beauty appealing to the Western gaze. Laroes highlights this by portraying herself in uneasy postures, struggling with self-image. In this way, she exposes the pressures surrounding bodyweight in today’s society.
In an interview with GUP, Laroes reveals her perspectives on body image and the Western view on unrealistic beauty ideals.
Laura Chen is a Dutch image-maker fascinated by documenting her daily encounters and whereabouts, using her camera to make sense of the world. She occasionally works with found or archival images, exploring mixed-media art and traditional photo montage techniques to articulate her thoughts and ideas. Her series 'Words from Dad’ is an ongoing project that explores her Chinese heritage. With the use of archival images from her own family albums, she traces back her mixed roots through her grandfather’s life stories as told by her dad.
According to Marc Elisabeth (b.1992, the Netherlands), we should all glorify blunders, applaud mistakes and encourage errors. In ‘Come Play Dead’ he visually explores existential questions concerning one’s purpose in life and our ongoing attempts to adapt to others’ expectations. His moral philosophy summarised: life is inherently ephemeral and by embracing our own futile existence, we can live as meaningful as possible.
Michelle Piergoelam aims to show different perspectives on myths, dreams, and memories. In her photographs, references to traditions and dreamlike sceneries intertwine to make for a new reality. Her work also contributes to a cultural awareness by addressing both culture and history from an alternative perspective.
ALEX AVGUD: EXERCISES IN FREEDOM
In his graduation series ‘Exercises in Freedom’, Avgud explores social mechanisms of oppression and the possibilities of resistance particularly in relation to human sexuality.
JUREMA - PARDO IANNINI
