Awoiska van der Molen
Awoiska van der Molen studied successively at the Minerva Academy in Groningen, City University of NY in New York City and the St. Joost Academy in Breda. In 2016 the FOAM in Amsterdam dedicated a solo exhibition to her work. She is nominated for the prestigious 2017 Deutsche Börse photography prize.
Although photography only exists thanks to light, the landscape of Awoiska van der Molen seems to appear out of darkness. In her photos, which are often deep black, it’s as though there were no longer any distinction between day and night. Van der Molen creates these images during long periods of isolation in nature. Far away from this high-speed society, Van der Molen takes time to experience landscapes differently, going beyond the first glance. She moves slowly, returns repeatedly and becomes one with these unknown places. This is her way of trying to get to the core of the isolated world in which she makes her photographs. This slow and solitary work process continues in the dark room. Even more than the physical journeys, for Van der Molen photography seems to represent a metaphysical quest: a search for the essence of life.