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Surinam

The aggressive calls of apes at night, thunder in the distance. While trying to get comfortable in a hammock, a thought crosses my mind; everything in the dense Surinam jungle seems hostile. The runaway slaves, what hardships must they have endured while fighting for their freedom, starting a new life in a place that appears uninhabitable. They were the founders of the villages along the Surinam River that I visited in 2016 for National Geographic Traveler. I’m startled to see that they seem more African that the ones that I saw in Africa before. Here too, modern time seems unstoppable, resulting in unexpected contrasts; in front of small wooden cabins with thatched roofs, small solar panels sit, used by residents to charge their latest Smart Phones. Here, photographing turns out to be a challenging task; despite having a local guide who is familiar with everyone, the residents are not easily approachable. Intrigued by a group of artists, I show them my self-portraits; now we have something in common, and I have their permission to photograph them. Before leaving, I had come across “The Narrative of a Five Years Expedition against the Revolted Negroes of Surinam” written by John Gabriel Stedman, a Dutch-born Scottish colonial soldier, who was sent here by the West Indian Company in 1773. He and his men were given the task of tracking down escaped slaves. For a long time, there was a fierce conflict between the plantation owners and the runaway slaves, called Marrons. With clever guerilla tactics, they fought the Dutch. Thanks to Stedman’s extremely detailed written report we know that during these conflicts, horrific things happened; he arrived in Surinam an advocate of slavery, but after seeing the inhumanity of slavery and the slave trade, he left with a strong belief in the equality of all man. During my brief visit for National Geographic Traveler, I only had a glance of Surinam, quite common while working for magazines. By going back and investing more time, I could create a thorough photo project.; working in an investigative way, making a photo document in which I can express myself artistically, without any restrictions of clients. The photo stories I create consist of three pillars: landscape, portrait and documentary. This way of working provides me with the freedom to chose exactly the form that I need to tell the story. My keen interest in history, how past and present are connected, often reflects on my work. This part of Surinam-Dutch history has not been given much attention. With Stedman’s book as a source of inspiration, I would like to make a photo series about life along the Surinam River. The first contacts that I have already made during my first visit could be of great value. My preference inclines towards following several residents of one village. By working in an investigative way, I would like to create a document reflecting respect for the local culture. My drive would be to create a picture of a close community that has arisen from braveness and the urge for survival.

National Geographic Traveler, Sidetrackedmagazine.