Books

‘Ommelanden’ is about growing up in the northernmost part of the Netherlands. It is a portrait of close communities, love, endless fields and freedom.

‘Ommelanden’ refers to all the areas around the city of Groningen, a region in the Netherlands often simplistically portrayed as an earthquake zone, with social-economic lows. Together with Pepijn Keppel, I spent three months living in a house above Usquert, between the village and the Wadden Sea. During the time I lived there, I got to know many young people, each of whom cherishes this region in their own way.

What Once Was is an imaginary portrayal of friendship and masculinity. The series is a vivid portrait of young adults in several European countries, carefully stylized, but still very close to my sense of friendship.

“The series shows a world in which we acknowledge that everything and everyone is connected to each other, with an emphasis on the connection to nature. One should have the freedom to give their own meaning to those connections, however, stereotypes limit this freedom. With What Once Was, I want to show that masculinity eventually is all about humanity, and that humanity subsequently is always associated with a vulnerability and dependency to nature”.

This Time Tomorrow, a visual portrait reflecting my life with my friends in the beautiful nature of the Dutch island Vlieland. As long as I can remember, I have visited the little Dutch island of Vlieland. I spent endless summers there with friends. It’s a place where everyone is at ease. We swim, stroll around, and drink—but above all, we reflect on life, and for a little moment, we forget our lives at the other side of the sea. There is no schedule, it’s only us at that moment of time. This time tomorrow, where will we be?