Very honoured to announce that SOLD was acquired by the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool. The series of portraits and testimonials of victims of human trafficking will be part of the permanent collection to tell the story of modern day slavery.More information right here
SOLD won 1st prize at the LensCulture Portrait Awards 2020. Check it out here and here
SOLD is a powerful photographic series that sheds light on the issue of human trafficking in the Netherlands. The series consists of 25 anonymous portraits of survivors who have found temporary refuge in shelters. These portraits were created through a collaborative effort between me and the subjects, and aim to show their strength and beauty, rather than defining them as victims. These are portraits of beauty, strength and resilience of the human spirit.
The portraits were taken in the rooms of the shelters where the survivors lived, the clothes they wore were often their only possessions. The anonymity of the subjects was crucial to protect their identities, as they were still in danger. Most perpetrators of human trafficking are never caught.
I spent two and a half years working on this project, beginning with a surprise discovery that human trafficking was a problem in the Netherlands. The journey to create these portraits involved gaining the trust of the survivors, learning about their personal stories, and becoming aware of the devastating and unfathomable facts and statistics about human trafficking globally.
SOLD is a poignant reminder that trafficking and slavery is not just a problem in far-off countries, but a worldwide issue that affects us all, regardless of where we live. Some of the subjects have left the shelters and attempted to return to a normal life, while others remain in the shelters, part of an endless stream of victims. Through this series, I hope to raise awareness and bring attention to the issue of human trafficking and the resilience and strength of its survivors.
“My mother-in-law sold me.”
“Head over heels in love, I was even willing to work in prostitution for him”
"I think i was dead inside.That is how I survived. "
“They where waiting for me at the beach.”
“The truck was my home”
“Over a period of two and a half years I wasn’t allowed a single break.”
"The men I was taken to had entirely different plans for me. They forced me to work in prostitution. "
"When they set off to drive me and the others to another location, I seized my chance to escape."
“I was pregnant through rape and at a loss for what to do”
"I have been to so many places that i sometimes did not even know in what country i was."
"I fell prey to the traffickers, the criminals, because I was so eager to work and had no other means of making money. "
"My mom always called me Precious, she never used my real name. I have not seen her in 5 years. I think if she knew what has happened she will not call me that name anymore."
"I was locked up for months, getting abused by many."
“Thankfully they never hurt my little boy, but for months he did have to stay locked in a small room”
"I made long hours and had no home, lived and slept on the front seats of the truck."
" Do you mind if I don't talk?"
"Most people won't believe i was a forced to please men, they think it only happens to women."
“He was so nice and promised to pay for my operation.”
"We were forced to work and live on that farm, the children had to work too."