Flakes of cotton stuck on the skin,
dresses full of desire,
a married glove,
prying eyes,
words like Junyo Maru, Pakan Baru who hid atrocities,
a drooping eye that saw but did not speak,
a Chinese aunt eating with chopsticks,
and everywhere that strange accent,
which only became recognizable when it was absent.

All this input, which was sometimes confusing to me, but especially the ‘us – them’ thinking, often led to incomprehension and embarrassment with regard to my family history. According to them, I did not understand: “These were different times…” Fortunately, these are different times now.

This project is based on my family album from the former Dutch East Indies. I edited the photos with a new technique I developed, inspired by iconoclasm. I also created collages and mobiles in which I combined the photos with photos of Amsterdam monuments from the former Dutch East Indies. With this project I want to make visible a period that is still present in many families.

My theme is man and his incapacity and me being a woman in this world. It’s a fascination for the peculiarities of the human body and mind. I use the body and skin as raw material to induce emotions, idea, desires and fears.